District 205, Students Address Planned Student Walk-Out

ELMHURST, IL — On March 14, students from all over the country will participate in a walk-out to protest gun violence. 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.

In Elmhurst, District 205 does anticipate that York students will participate in the walk-out. The district said it is neither endorsing or preventing that activity.

Student organizers for the walkout said the students believe this is a bipartisan issues that everyone can get behind, as almost everyone can agree that assault, military-grade weapons have no place in school.

Organizers added that after the walkout students will be meeting with state legislators to see what students can do to take further actions as students and as citizens.

In a letter from Superintendent Dr. David Moyer to families, he wrote that, "student safety is one of our top priorities."

Moyer stated in the letter that, "I have been in contact with the Elmhurst Police Department to ensure additional safety measures are in place for these days. We are encouraging parents to have a conversation with their children about their choices, should they feel strongly about this issue."

According to the letter, the district does not want to discourage students from exercising their First Amendment rights, but would like to encourage them to work with their building administration to find a productive way to make their voices heard in a manner that does not compromise their safety.

"I am assuming that there is a greater likelihood of a walkout in our upper grade levels, and it is my hope that reasonable, alternative solutions to this can be reached across the District," Moyer wrote in the letter.

The district said in the letter that it respects the students' rights to protect, and will support those students while also ensuring staff continue to provide instruction and supervision to those students who choose to remain in class.

"While we all hold personal feelings surrounding national issues, it is our primary responsibility to provide for the safety and well-being of our students each and every day," Moyer wrote in the letter.

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