Hays Middle School students walk out to bring attention to school security

Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school district informed parents this afternoon 40 to 50 middle school students “walked out” of the school at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes to bring attention to the shooting at a school in Florida and to the the issues of school security and guns.

The message sent to parents said, “The students were supervised by school staff and returned to class at the end of the 17 minutes. All students were well-behaved and talked about the issues related to school safety.”

Students that attended are responsible for making up any worked missed, the message to parents said.

Seventeen students were killed in a school shooting in Florida on Feb. 14, which has sparked nationwide discussion on school safety and gun control.

Local law enforcement investigated a verbal threat against Hays High School on Feb. 12, which has sparked a discussion in the community about school safety and school notification of parents in cases of threats.

The Hays school board plans to discuss the local threat and how the school responded at its meeting tonight.

Nationwide, students have set March 14 as a walk-out day to protest school shootings.