SAN ANTONIO – At least one local school district is responding to students' plans to protest recent school shootings. North East Independent School District sent a letter home to parents Thursday letting them know that if students walk out of class or skip school, they will receive an unexcused absence.
Students across the country have called for protests and walkouts to demand stricter gun control laws, better school security and more services for teens with mental health issues. The movement has grown online, with supporters using #NationalSchoolWalkout.
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There are various proposed dates for walkouts including March 14 and April 20. NEISD says it will handle any possible protests "the same way it always has." An unexcused absence means a student will not receive credit for any work expected to be completed during the class period. The district also says it will not accept any requests from parents to excuse an absence during a protest day.
The letter to parents stated, "While we understand people are passionate on all sides of the issues stemming from events in Florida, we cannot allow students to disrupt the learning environment during school hours."
NEISD suggests that if students wish to protest, they may do so in a peaceful manner outside of the regular school day.
Tweets about #NationalSchoolWalkout
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