Administrators say fear for student safety was their immediate reaction when around 200 students walked out of class last Monday.
SHS principal Amy Boone said the unexpected walkout quickly became a safety concern as students left SHS and entered nearby streets.
A parental instinct kicked in when students walked out of the building
“I was scared for our kids because I can’t control what other people do,” Boone said.
The walkout, carried out by a group of students to raise awareness about immigration issues and ICE, was not organized by the school.
Boone said administration became aware of possible plans after hearing about vague conversations between students but did not receive details about the time, location or the organizers.
On Monday morning, administration met with certain students to remind them that leaving campus without permission would result in disciplinary consequences. Despite those warnings, students left SHS and started marching on nearby streets.
Boone said administrators coordinated with Perry Township police to monitor students and reduce safety risks as they walked near traffic.
“We didn’t know where students were going or how far they would go,” Boone said. “They were in the street. It was cold, and we can’t control what other people might do.”
While some administrators remained inside the building to supervise the students who stayed, others communicated with parents and police as the situation unfolded.
Following the walkout, administrators came together to determine disciplinary consequences for students who left campus. Boone said leaving school without permission is typically treated as elopement and can result in multiple days of suspension. However, administrators decided to reduce penalties in this case.
“We’re taking this as a learning opportunity,” Boone said. “I don’t think students were fully informed about the consequences.”
She said the school’s response was limited by the lack of communication from students beforehand.
“As an administration, we’re trying to take this one instance as a learning opportunity. So I don’t believe students were fully informed,” Boone said. “I feel bad because I didn’t know in enough advance what was happening and what any plans were to try to address kids, to say, if you do this, there are gonna be consequences.”
Boone said administrators met with district leaders and law enforcement after the incident to review the response and discuss whether anything could have been handled differently.
Boone said administrators support students expressing their views but believe protests must be planned and communicated to ensure safety.
“I wish… there would have been somebody that took some leadership to communicate with the school so that we could have talked through and made a safer plan for students,” Boone said.
“The frustration isn’t the purpose behind it and that’s what I want to make clear to kids,” Boone said. “We understand and support (students) wanting to have their voice heard as long as it’s done in an appropriate way.”
