Students Walkout in Grass Valley to Protest School Board Putting Money Before Students

On Earth Day, April 22nd, which coincided with the first day back from spring break at the Nevada Joint Union High School District in Grass Valley more than 400 students walked out to protest failures by the school board to support marginalized students. The walkout was organized and orchestrated 100% by students through a "NJUHSD Student Union" that was formed in response to the last NJUHSD board meeting on April 9th. At that board meeting a resolution titled 'every student belongs' was voted on. The resolution would was entirely symbolic and would have stated that the school district will do everything in its power to protect marginalized students and keep them safe in a school district that has repeatedly made national news for how racist and homophobic it is. Despite 100% of public comment being in support of the resolution, and multiple students speaking out about their personal experiences of feeling unsafe on campus and not trusting that the board supports them the resolution failed 3-2. Andrew Kline, Ken Johnson, and Kelly Clark all voted no on the grounds that it was a bad financial decision.

For a reason that for most seems completely absurd the board expressed that they believed supporting marginalized students would put them in the firing line of the fascist federal government and could lose federal funding. This federal funding makes up a little over a million and a half dollars, rough 4% of the districts funding. Despite the districts reserves being over $6,000,000 and growing this hypothetical threat was enough for the board to capitulate to fascist demands. In response anger rocked the student body and quickly a student union was formed and plan to walk out was formulated.

This walkout came on April 22nd, Earth Day, and the first day back from the districts spring break. At 12:30 hundreds walked out from two campuses. At Ghidotti Early College High School almost 40% of the school walked out at and marched to the nearby district office. At the district office the students were met by hundreds more from the much larger Nevada Union High School. Between the two schools there are around 1,600 students and roughly 400 walked out and occupied the space outside the district office. Quickly chants calling of "shut it down" and "no justice, no attendance" rang out. Soon the rally shifted into a circle where students spoke about their experiences with bullying and oppression in the school. After heartfelt expressions of rage and injustice the students attempted to march through the school campus, but were met with a roadblock of "campus security" and sherrifs deputies. These same sherrif's deputies proceeded to then pull over several students who were leaving on the grounds that they were honking in support of the walkout.

Eventually the crowd began to shrink and the rally ended with students proclaiming that they will keep on fighting until justice is served, promising to continue to walkout and disrupt until student's demands are met. The call also went out to show up at then next board meeting on May 14th and make sure the board gets no peace until they accept student demands. Along with this a petition was started to support the students and pass the failed resolution https://www.change.org/p/every-student-belongs

In response to this historic walkout the Nevada Union principle was swift to send out an email proclaiming that class boycotts aren't allowed and that the school wouldn't allow parents to excuse student's absences if they attended the walkout. They also went on to proclaim all the students who attended the walkout would receive detention. Student athletes would also be barred from attending sports events that day. No such retaliation was reported at next door Ghidotti. The only member of the board to comment on the walkout was board president Andrew Kline who stated that the students needed to "get their butts back in class tomorrow so they can learn economics and math" and also proclaimed that the students were anti-democracy for protesting a board whom they aren't allowed to vote for. Instead of the "democracy" that Kline is claiming students are protesting against the board is made up entirely of people voted in by non-students, with a single token student representative who has no voting power.

Although the fight isn't over it seems the students have realized the power they hold and have promised resistance until victory. As a revolutionary youth in this school district it's long past the time for the students rise, and inspiring to see so many willing to defy the whims of authority to stand with each other. Victory to the students! Victory to the revolution!