School District of Philadelphia announces delayed opening Monday after Super Bowl

It appears Philadelphia schools have caught the Eagles fever, as the School District of Philadelphia has announced a delayed opening for Monday after Sunday night's Super Bowl.

In a letter to staff obtained by FOX 29, the school district said that all school will open two hours late to ensure the safety of their students and teachers:

"On Super Bowl Sunday, we hope that should you choose to watch the game, you enjoy it safely and responsibly with friends and family… While we look forward to a great game and an Eagles victory, we also look forward to welcoming students back to classrooms on the next day on a two-hour delay."

The message ended with a simple "E-A-G-L-E-S! Go Birds!" a chant echoed across the city for weeks.

Philadelphia Schools also made a public announcement in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.

The School District of Philadelphia is the latest to announce a delayed opening. The Gloucester City School District sent a similar letter last week, stating "It is a rare and special time for families to watch our local professional team compete in the Super Bowl."

Monique Braxton, spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia, says having a two-hour delay just makes sense.

"When you think about it the school district started in 1818, one of the oldest in the country, one of the largest in the country, so I think doing something like this only embraces what’s happening in our city at this time, and you can’t fault us for that," said Braxton. 

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The Eagles and Chiefs will kick off Super Bowl LVII at 6:30 p.m. February 12 from State Farm Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can watch the game on FOX 29. 

The average time for a Super Bowl, according to the Miami Herald, is over three hours.

Additionally, the Washington Township School District, in Gloucester County, N.J. has announced a two-hour delayed opening Monday, Feb. 13, due to the Super Bowl Sunday night.

Thursday, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced all high schools, parochial elementary schools and special education schools will open two hours late Monday, February 13. They went to add that should the Eagles win and if a celebratory parade is held on a school day, all Archdiocesan schools will be closed.