Missouri students walk out to bring awareness to school safety

Students plan to walk out of class this morning at some Springfield high schools and universities.

Students are joining a nation-wide movement and walking out of class to demand safer schools.

"Across the country when these incidents happen it's like well maybe Kickapoo hasn't had this problem but what if we did," Grace Laflen, a Junior, at Kickapoo High School said. "It's kind of this lingering feeling of this could happen."

Students Grace Laflen and Zoe Sweaney are walking out of class with these signs to advocate for more gun control, like universal background checks.

Other students will also be walking out to show their support for the opposing side, wanting more guns.

"We know that there are very many different perspectives and viewpoints we want all people to feel like they can share their thoughts because it takes that ongoing conversation to make sure that our safety protocols and procedures are as efficient and strong as they can possibly be and then we incorporate that feedback into refining and enhancing those," Stephen Hall, Communications Officer, for Springfield Public Schools, said.

"We're going to walk to our football field and that's when the walk to the football field is going to be the march," Laflen said. "We're going to have signs, we're going to be doing some chants and then once we get to the football field, I believe there are a couple of student speeches planned if we have the time."

Both Grace Laflen and Zoe Sweaney say they feel completely safe at Kickapoo High School but the tragedies at other schools across the nation make them want to speak up.

"We have a pretty safe campus we have a big campus and we have responsible teachers," Laflen said. "I can't say it makes me feel better whenever we have threats."

"The entire point is that we walk out today, so we don't have to run out tomorrow," Sweaney said. "I just think the point is to disrupt education and I know that's controversial but education is being disrupted anyway."

University students are also walking out today. Protests are expected at Missouri State and Drury.

Laflen said walk outs are expected to happen at Drury, Missouri State, Glendale, Parkview, Central, Greenwood, a couple other schools and Republic.

The Springfield Public School District is asking parents to tak a survey on safety to get feedback.

School campuses are gun-free zones and no weapons are allowed on school grounds.

Right now, the school district is not anticipating any major changes to school regulations but is taking feedback for improvement.

A March is also scheduled to take place tomorrow in downtown Springfield and in Washington D.C.

"March For Our Lives" is expecting more than 2,400 people to rally against gun violence starting at 11 on Park Central Square, in Downtown Springfield.