DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — High school students who made a video documenting the bad conditions at their school canceled a walkout and met with the superintendent today.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes was at Druid Hills High School in DeKalb County where she spoke to students who were in that meeting.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The meeting lasted about two hours, and students told Fernandes they believe it was productive. She also spoke with district administrators who said the meeting was a success.
The fight to get the school the renovations it needs is still ongoing, and students still plan to walk out next week.
The video, which several Druid Hills High School students created about two weeks ago, basically forced DeKalb County School Board members to put their school back on the list of schools that need some serious renovations in the district.
However, the repairs will not happen any time soon because DeKalb does not have the money to fix Druid Hills High and fix dozens of other schools that are higher on the list.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Students protest after viral video shows teen slap girl who called him a racial slur
- NeNe Leakes files lawsuit for hostile, racist work environment on ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’
- Attack and robbery in mall bathroom outside Macy’s leads to prison for teen
“Of course they want to be able to snap their fingers and fix everything in the district and have all the money to do so, but at the end of the day there’s not enough,” student Liam Sitz said.
Not even with the E-SPLOST money that is expected to be available soon.
Friday morning more than a dozen students sat down with regional superintendent Trenton Arnold and district superintendent Cheryl Watson Harris to discuss options.
Everyone involved told Fernandes the meeting went well, but students are still planning to protest by walking out next week because they want action, and they want it fast. Students and teachers told her the principal threatened them not to walk out of the school.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“That’s the way students should be able to have the freedom to speak out against what’s unjust with that, so I do think that we should definitely have the right to walk out,” Sitz said.
Students are now in the process of writing letters to school board members and the superintendent. They want to keep the momentum going and they believe that their voices are keeping this issue rolling.
IN OTHER NEWS:
This browser does not support the video element.