Roger Bacon Academy releasing early on Monday for solar eclipse

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — The charter schools managed by the Roger Bacon Academy will dismiss early on Monday.

RBA says they made the decision out of concern for the safety of children and their parents.

Charter Day School in Leland, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, Douglass Academy in Wilmington will operate on a half-day schedule.   South Brunswick Charter School in Southport will release at 11:30 a.m.

RBA says there are three reasons why they decided to close at 11:30 a.m./12:30 p.m. on Monday:

• Safety. It is recommended each child be under close parental supervision while viewing the eclipse, either with certified eye protection or other practices that do not involve direct eye exposure to the sun. Our top priority is to make sure our students avoid the potential for permanent eye damage during the event.
• Dismissal Conflict. The eclipse will reach its peak during the usual time for dismissal. Even a partial eclipse creates a potentially dangerous situation for students, who might intentionally or inadvertently try to view the event without the proper eye safety precautions.
• Traffic. The City of Wilmington has put out a severe traffic warning for that day. Since the majority of the more than 2200 students at the four RBA charter schools are transported by their parents or guardians, there is concern that they might encounter drivers who are paying attention to the eclipse instead of other motorists and pedestrians. Therefore, in the interests of safety, we want to help parents and their children get off the roads before this special event.

AlphaBEST daycare services on campuses will not be offered after noon on Monday.