Boston Students Plan Walkout For COVID Safety Protocols

BOSTON — Boston Public School students are organizing a walkout to demand stronger COVID-19 safety protocols Friday.

The Boston Student Advisory Council will be organizing the demonstration, set to start at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Organizers are demanding the school district go remote for two weeks, while still counting those days towards the state's mandated 180 days of classroom learning.

The state has remained adamant about keeping students in class this year, saying remote learning days will not count toward the required 180 days of school districts must provide.

BSAC is also making demands for better Personal Protective Equipment for teachers and improved contact tracing throughout the school.

This comes after more than 1,000 Boston Public Schools teachers, staff, and bus drivers were out sick the first week following the winter break, and as Gov. Charlie Baker reiterated his stance against remote learning.

"This protest is not directly aimed at the district," said one student organizer with BSAC, "but at the state and DESE," WBZNewsRadio reported.

More coverage: Baker Touts Successful School Return Despite Some Delaying Class

Nearly 20 school districts delayed their return from winter break due to health concerns and staffing shortages amid a spike in COVID-19 fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant, but Boston Public Schools remained open until a snowstorm Friday canceled all classes.

An Instagram post by BSAC says a webinar will follow the walkout, offering other options for students who are uncomfortable with walking out.