District 113 Announces School Walkout Guidelines For DHS, HPHS

DEERFIELD, IL — Students at District 113 high schools will not be penalized whether or not they participate in Wednesday's National School Walkout, but they will be subject to the same discipline as on a regular school day for their "behavior and actions, attendance, apparel, signs, and language" during the protest, district administrators announced. A joint letter from district Superintendent Christopher Dignam, Deerfield High School Principal Kathryn Anderson and Highland Park High School Principal Elizabeth Pérez Robertson provided updated guidelines for how the two high schools would be handling the event, part of coordinated international demonstrations planned in response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Florida high school in which 17 people were murdered.

At 10 a.m. across each time zone, participants in the walkout plan to leave their schools for 17 minutes to honor those killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Administrators said District 113 campuses will be closed to visitors, including students from other schools, parents, former staff and community members for the day on March 14.

"Given the dynamic nature of this event and that we do not know exactly how many students might participate, we want to ensure we are focusing our efforts on the safety of the students on our campuses," the letter (below) said. Administrators said they would be working closely with local law enforcement to ensure students stayed safe during the event.

Outside of schools across the United States, such school walkouts are planned at international schools in Australia, Canada, Holland, Israel, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, according to a map on the Women's March website.

Using the hashtag "NeverAgain" the movement has been largely student-directed and has aimed to end the phenomenon of school shootings.

Some students are planning additional events. A separate student rally called March For Our Lives is planned to take place March 24 in Washington, D.C. And at 10 a.m. on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, some students plan to walk out for another 17 minutes.

In their joint letter, principals at DHS and HPHS asked anyone who hears about or has planned additional walkouts or protests plans to let them know about it.

The movement has also sparked Deerfield teenagers to get involved with local government. Elected officials, they say, have not done enough to stop school shootings.

Students at Deerfield High School, some of whom spoke at a recent Deerfield Village Board meeting to in support of a proposed ban on assault-style weapons, plan to head to Village Hall after the day's final bell and meet with officials, the Deerfield Review reported.

Anderson, the DHS principal, told the paper she has been working with a group of about 14 student organizers to make sure school guidelines are followed and the day stays safe.

In addition to local public high schools, students at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School are also organizing an event, the school rabbi told the Review.

Read the complete letter from Superintendent Christopher Dignam, Deerfield High School Principal Kathryn Anderson and Highland Park High School Principal Elizabeth Pérez Robertson regarding walkout plans:

We would like to provide you with an update regarding the National School Walkout on March 14, scheduled from 10:00 - 10:17 a.m. across all time zones. Over the past week, we have been meeting with our administrative teams, students, parents, and community partners to determine how we can prepare for the March 14 National School Walkout, and more importantly, best support our students. Our students have a constitutional right to demonstrate and protest, and whether or not a student chooses to do so by taking part in the National School Walkout, the event presents a learning opportunity in which students can explore meaningful ways to express themselves regarding issues that impact them.

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and as such, our District policies, rules, and student code of conduct will remain in place. Several students and student leadership groups have discussed their intentions and goals for this student-led event with our principals. Knowing about these plans in advance is helpful as we coordinate a safe environment for our students. If you hear of another protest or walkout that is being planned or have made plans of your own, please let our principals know. We have been made aware of other local, student-led protests and walkouts that might take place, and will adhere to the same guidelines outlined later in this letter.

We are supporting our students’ right to participate in this event and want to ensure we are coordinating with our Village/City officials and local law enforcement to develop plans to ensure our students’ safety. In collaboration with our sender schools and community partners, we have decided to close our campus to visitors on March 14. This includes students from other schools, parents, former staff, and community members. Given the dynamic nature of this event and that we do not know exactly how many students might participate, we want to ensure we are focusing our efforts on the safety of the students on our campuses.

Should a student walkout occur, we will be adhering to the following guidelines:

• Students choosing not to participate will remain in class with an instructor and will engage in meaningful learning.
• Students will not be disciplined for engaging in the walkout or any other act of protest. However, during the protest, students are subject to consequences equal to those outlined in the student handbook. This includes the students’ behavior and actions, attendance, apparel, signs, and language.
• Students will not be penalized whether or not they choose to participate. All students are still responsible for all homework and assignments given that day.
• Students choosing to walk out during school hours will be supported in achieving their goals in a civil and least disruptive manner, which includes congregating in a safe and supervised area.
• We will coordinate with local law enforcement to assist in monitoring the protest and keeping students away from traffic.
• While we cannot provide security if students leave campus, we will work with local law enforcement to coordinate as much safety measures as possible. Please note that when off campus, students will be treated as citizens and are expected to abide by all statutes and conduct as outlined by local ordinances and state law.
• We fully support all staff being actively engaged citizens in the manner they choose when they are not at school. While we all have opinions related to this issue, the primary responsibility of our District 113 staff is to provide a safe learning environment for our students and to attend to their academic, physical, social, and emotional needs.

We respect and support our students in their right to protest. Our priority is to ensure we are protecting our students, ensuring their safety, and minimizing the disruption to the learning environment. We encourage our students to take a stand for causes they are passionate about and will support all learners who wish to participate and those who do not.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We will share any updates regarding the protest as they become available.

Christopher Dignam
Kathryn Anderson
Elizabeth Pérez Robertson