On Friday, Feb. 13, some Kingston High School students are planning to walk out of school in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Such walk-outs are a growing trend among high schools nationwide, largely organized on social media platforms and by word of mouth.
News reports showed at least a dozen other school districts across the country in which students have planned a similar walk-out for Friday, and many more districts where walk-outs have already occurred in 2026.
Kingston superintendent of schools Dr. Paul J. Padalino wrote a statement suggesting the walk-out would happen at 11:48 a.m.
He issued a polite warning to those planning on cutting class in protest.
“The Kingston City School District’s mission is to inspire, educate and graduate all students and we encourage our students to be engaged, socially active and civic-minded individuals,” he wrote. “Safe and legal social activism is the right of all, but as a school district we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our students. It is our expectation that students are in school, participating in classes in a safe environment during the regularly scheduled school day… Any student who is not present during the time of the proposed walk-out will be marked with an unexcused absence as outlined in the Board adopted District Code of Conduct.”
He ended the message by encouraging families to make “safe decisions” regarding staying in school.
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