Pioneer School District is adding Monday, April 8, 2024, as a day off of school, due to the total solar eclipse that day.
April 8 is also the day after Easter break, so the recess will be extended by one day.
Western New York falls within a narrow total eclipse path that stretches across the U.S. from New England to Texas.
Superintendent Nicholas Silvaroli explained to the Board of Education that the eclipse, which will plunge the area in complete darkness at 3:17 p.m., is expected to have observers and tourists converging on the area, resulting in possible heavy traffic on the roads.
"There are people called 'eclipsers' who follow these things," he said. "It's being called a once-in-a-lifetime event."
Mr. Silvaroli said he has consulted with nearby superintendents and they are also posting April 8 as a half-day or day off. All of Erie County's schools and Buffalo city schools have elected to close, he added.
Pioneer will lose a day of instruction, and the district can further adjust the calendar in the spring if needed, Mr. Silvaroli said.