CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Sweetwater Union High School District students are planning to walk out of class on Tuesday to protest a plan that would cut roughly 240 teachers and staff members.
Students Isabella Borquez and Kiana Lusk had the idea for the walkout after watching the district’s school board meeting on Feb. 24. The board voted 3-2 in favor of cutting jobs that impact mostly teachers and librarians.
The students created a video and an Instagram page called “Put Students First” to get the word out about the walkout. They say the district's cuts are impacting their classrooms and their teachers.
Borquez and Lusk organized the walkout on Super Tuesday symbolically, to use their voice, just like the millions that will vote on Election Day.
The walkout is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3. at every high school in the district.
Those participating are asked to wear red.
Sweetwater Union High School District spokesperson Manny Rubio told 10News, “We respect and welcome the student voice in this process and will continue to work with students to ensure their input is heard.”
However, Rubio also noted that the district has the right to mark students as truant if they choose to “leave class/campus without authorization.” Students who take part in the walkout and are determined to be truant are “subject to the same consequences as any other truant students.”
Rubio said the district notified families ahead of Tuesday's walkout and advised them that students would be marked as truant.
