North Hills To Provide Students Designated Areas For Walkout

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA - North Hills School District will provide designated areas at the high school and middle school for students to participate in the National School Walkout scheduled for March 14.

Superintendent Patrick Mannarino said in a letter to district families Friday that after consulting high school leadership, We are providing a well-supervised, safe and secure area for our high school and middle school students inside their buildings.“ for the walkout.

The walkout is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday and will last 17 minutes to honor the 17 people killed last month in the Parkland, Florida school shootings. Spurred by survivors of the shooting, the walkout is part of a larger effort to get stricter federal gun control legislation enacted.

Mannarino said that student participation in the walkout is strictly voluntary. Students have the option of staying in class during the 17 minutes until classmates return and are accounted for teachers.

Ross and West View police officer will man all North Hills schools during the walkout time period, although elementary students will not be permitted to participate in the walkout. “We believe that a walkout is not developmentally or emotionally appropriate for our elementary students,” Mannarino said.