Several weeks ago Greenville County Schools made the decision that the district would not participate in the National Walkout to honor the Florida students murdered during the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
According to administrators, encouraging students to walk out of a secure building at a highly publicized, designated time seemed to provide an easy target for someone in an unstable frame of mind. To have such an event occur at 34 locations across the district (middle and high school sites) stretched both district and law enforcement resources too thin for the comfort of officials. Furthermore, officials argued that a sanctioned event in favor of greater gun control could also have led to a simultaneous event in favor of gun rights.
Though officials did not sanction the walkout, they knew some students would participate anyway, so instructions were given to middle and high school principals both verbally and in writing that students should not be blocked or restricted from participating in the walkout by either teachers or administrators. About 1,000 Greenville County Schools middle and high school students walked out, but they did so in a calm and respectful manner and returned promptly after 17 minutes. For this and for their safety we are very grateful.
Numbers by school of students who walked out of their school building.
High Schools
Berea – 0
Blue Ridge – 1
Carolina – 20
Eastside – 27
Greenville – 7
Early College-0
Greer – 5
Hillcrest – 39
J.L. Mann 206
Mauldin 179
Riverside -16
Southside – 2
Travelers Rest – 30
Wade Hampton – 0
Woodmont – 0
Fine Arts Center – 1
Middle Schools
Berea – 15
Beck – 98
Blue Ridge – 0
Northwood – 3
Greenville – 0
Greer – 7
Bryson – approx. 100
Fisher – 7
Mauldin – 0
Hillcrest – 50
Hughes – 0
Northwest – 0
Lakeview – 0
League – 30
Ralph Chandler – 0
Riverside Middle – 5
Ralph Chandler – 0
Sevier – 43
Tanglewood – 120
Woodmont – 7