Comal ISD will close for the eclipse on April 8 but it will be business as usual for Comal County employees.
County spokesperson Cary Zayas said today there are no plans to shutter county offices.
However, in a statement Friday, San Marcos County Judge Ruben Becerra authorized the closure of most county offices “when tourism is expected to increase exponentially due to the total solar eclipse.”
Wimberley and Dripping Springs will be in the “path of totality.”
Travis County Judge Andy Brown on March 8 issued a disaster declaration because Travis County’s population could double as up to one million people are expected to descend on Central Texas for the event.
The path of totality is where observers will see the moon completely cover the sun, according to NASA. The sky will become dark as if it were dawn or dusk.
Some eastern parts of Travis, Hays, Comal and Bexar counties fall outside of the path of totality, according to Hill Country Alliance. The western areas of these counties will be in totality. At centerline, observers will experience almost four and one-half minutes of totality.
In the language of science, “the eclipse in Comal will be a deep partial with magnitude 99.7%.
“For those who only experience a partial solar eclipse, the sky will appear slightly darker than it was before the eclipse, depending on how much the moon blocks the sun in their location,” NASA said. Temperatures will drop about 10 degrees during the eclipse.
School Closures
Blanco, San Marcos, Hays and many other school districts in Central and South Central Texas have announced closures.
In a March 1 letter to parents, Comal ISD Superintendent John Chapman said two-thirds of the district also is in the path of totality, and local officials expect traffic at levels “never experienced with I-35 along with Highway 281, FM 46 and FM 306 leading to the hill country and the eclipse’s path.
“The district’s primary concern for April 8 is the ability to transport students safely to and from school knowing we will have unprecedented levels of traffic in the area,” he said. “In addition, we know that many families are making plans for the day to experience this event with their children, making attendance a concern as well.”
The district has not used a bad weather day so far this school year, meaning the closure will not need to be made up later in the semester.
“We are fortunate to live in an area that will allow us to experience this historic eclipse and by taking the day off we will alleviate concerns about transportation and district,’ he said.
