Sunnyvale ISD Board of Trustees

Good Afternoon Raider Family,

As many of you already know, the upcoming April 8th total solar eclipse has been making headlines across the globe and in particular, the State of Texas. Portions of our state are directly in the zone of totality.

Sunnyvale is in that zone of totality, which will happen at 1:40 p.m. Sunnyvale and cities very near our community are planning for visitors to the area for eclipse viewing events. In Sunnyvale, Dallas Park and Recreation is planning “Totality Dallas,” a three-day event at Samuel Farm, located adjacent to Interstate 80. This event could see up to 6,000 attendees.

Nearby, the Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management anticipates an additional 200,000 people in the county with about 50,000 in neighboring Forney. Officials believe this influx of visitors could create an additional 6-12 hours of traffic.

Many local school districts have made the decision to close on April 8 out of concern for safety and after-school transportation issues for students and teachers. In communities where school districts have closed, daycare facilities have also announced closures. These closures will impact SISD staff members who have children attending those daycare programs.

As the district has studied the impact on traffic, safety and security, and our own staff concerns, SISD has decided to close school on April 8, 2024. We believe this is in the best interest of our staff and students.

SISD joins Kaufman ISD, Forney ISD, Terrell ISD, Crandall ISD, Terrell ISD and Rockwall ISD — all of which have all decided to close school on the day of the eclipse out of concern for safety and after-school transportation for students and teachers.

The SISD Administration wishes to make this experience as relevant and fun as possible. We recognize the significance of a total solar eclipse and the memories such an event creates in the life of a student. Therefore, SISD will provide digital learning materials via the Weekly E-News for families to utilize during this important occasion. We will soon launch a special Solar Eclipse webpage on www.sunnyvaleisd.com that students may visit to find materials.

Most importantly, all Raiders will receive a pair of eclipse glasses so that they may safely view the eclipse.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We appreciate your flexibility and patience.

Sincerely,

Sunnyvale ISD Administration