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John Daley ReportingFor yet another day today, students are demonstrating, this time in a march from West Valley City to the Capitol. Again it's over proposed legislation on illegal immigration. The ongoing protests are putting schools in an uncomfortable position.
If hundreds of kids decide to walk out of school, decide to march, what can the school do about it? The answer, both legally and practically, is not much.
It was a long walk, perhaps five miles from two West Valley City schools to the Capitol.
KSL Photographer: "So what, you guys all walked out of school today?"
Student: "Yeah, we're trying to show you guys that we've come to work here. We're not all criminals. It's true, right?"
Student: "'Cuz they deserve rights to be in the United States, like we have, the rights that we have. They're people, too."
Esteban Magana, West Lake Student: "The economy of the U.S. will crumble if they get rid of all immigrants, so we marched up here to show that we can do this."
Stephanie Adame, West Lake Junior High Student: "We walked all the way here from West Valley City, and we'd better get something from here."
Students say they're willing to risk the consequences of being absent from school.
David Robles, West Lake Junior High Student : "Just to walk, to have fun, to support my country."
But when hundreds of junior high students leave class, who is responsible? Police say their top priority is safety.
Salt Lake City Police Officer: "I understand each school took their attendance rolls as they left, so that'll be up to each individual school district. We're just getting them safely up to the capitol. That's all we want to do is get them safe up there." Reporter: "So truancy is not an issue?" "Not me it's not, no."
School officials say missing students will be marked down with an unexcused absence unless they get a note from parents. They'll use the protests as an educational tool and urge kids to stay at school, but...
Dave Rettie, Principal, West Lake Junior High School: "We're not going to run after them and bring them back to school. We can't. We've got 1100 kids here at school and so even if I have 200 out, I've got 900 here."
A spokesman for Granite Schools says they wish students would stay in school, but once off the school grounds, legally students are on their own. Unless on a field trip or official school activity, the school's authority ends at the boundary of school property.
