TOLEDO, Ohio —
Whitmer High School students organized a walkout to show support for Washington Local Schools' teachers.
The district's teachers have been working without a new contract since the beginning of the school year.
Twenty minutes before the school bell rang, around 100 students walked out to show support for their teachers.
The students were holding signs and chanting "we love our teachers" during the walkout.
"We wanted to do a walkout to raise awareness," Whitmer student Hannah Hammitt said. "Especially make the board see that the students back the teachers. We care for them so much."
Contract negotiations started in March and the contract ended in July.
"Teachers have been without a contract all year and no matter who you are or what side of the political spectrum you're on," student Luci Sortor said. "This is a complete disrespect and injustice to our caring, amazing teachers we have at Washington Local Schools."
Nearly 170 days and multiple meetings later, negotiations have moved from mediation to fact-finding, meaning a neutral panel will evaluate and create a final proposal for two sides to vote on.
State fact-finders will send back their proposal in early January, which is when the teachers association will decide whether or not to strike.
The majority of the teachers association took a vote of no confidence in contract negotiations nearly two weeks ago.
No matter what happens, students want teachers to know they have their back.
"They go through a lot to help us during the day," student Wes Pryce said. "It's not easy with the whole high school. Some of us are unruly, I won't lie about that. They go through a lot every single day."
A representative from Washington Local Schools provided the following statement:
We appreciate student engagement about issues that affect their world and we understand that those actions come from a place of care. We always support our students' right to express their feelings in peaceful ways, even though we must balance the need for academic integrity and student safety.
No rain or repercussions were going to keep the students inside.
"This protest from our students here shows how loving we are to our teachers, how much they deserve their contract and how much they need it," student Aidan Minch said.
Some of the students said they wanted to try and go to the school board meeting on Wednesday to show their support for the teachers.