Texas student walkouts continue as officials warn school districts

AUSTIN, Texas - School walkouts over federal immigration enforcement continued on Thursday, with more campuses across Central Texas joining in.

Thursday's walkouts spanning multiple districts and age groups of students leaving class taking their message to public spaces.

What they're saying:

Student walkouts stretched into its second week across Central Texas, with students leaving classrooms in multiple districts, including Austin ISD, Hays CISD, Pflugerville, Manor and Bastrop.

On Thursday morning, students at Austin ISD's Bedichek Middle School walked out of class holding signs and chanting on the sidewalk.

Hours later, students at IDEA Rundberg College Preparatory followed suit, walking out and heading to U.S. 183 and I-35 overpasses.

"We are protesting about everything that is going on with ICE and immigration. We think that it's really unfair that even citizens of the U.S. are being deported and the violence, the crazy violence that is going on in this world right now," said one Runberg College Prep student.

"We're protesting for our parents. We're speaking for people that can't speak. That's why they got a new generation to speak for them," said another student.

As the walkouts gained momentum, the Texas Education Agency released its guidance on consequences for students walking out of class. 

The agency warns walkouts could cost districts state funding. Educators being investigated and disciplined could result in losing their teaching license.

"We're out here, so people can know that they don't need to be scared. That we got their back, we can speak up for them. We can make, hopefully we can make something happen," said another student.

According to the TEA, public schools in Texas receive state funds based on the average daily attendance of students. The agency says this process is the same for independent school districts and for open enrollment charter schools.

Governor Greg Abbott weighed in after students from 14 Austin ISD campuses held demonstrations last week. Later, he called on Texas Education Commissioner, Mike Morath, to investigate the district.

AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said those walkouts were not sponsored or endorsed by the district.

"You don't have freedom of speech to say and act any way you want to, anywhere you want to, any time you want. The Supreme Court has been very clear about free speech of students. And that free speech of students does not include leaving the school to go protest. And so, by Supreme Court precedent, what they did by leaving school to protest is not protected speech," said Governor Abbott.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra says our duty as a community is to protect the vulnerable and uphold the foundational freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly regardless of viewpoint.

"I believe that the political theatrics of current leadership should yield because what they are doing is micromanaging independent school districts, school boards, and principals, and classrooms, and at the end of the day, the classrooms aren't jails," said Becerra.