Students march to protest at plaza

As reported last week in El Sol, some 125 Sonoma Valley High School students cut classes on May 15 and marched up Broadway to the plaza, where they gathered to demonstrate in favor of immigration reform and against the Santa Rosa school board’s decision not to award Certificates of Completion to students who do not pass the California Exit Exam.
The latter issue is of special concern to students without legal status, who therefore would have to pay international fees if attending state colleges, instead of resident fees; for some, that may make further education too expensive.
Accompanying the students from the high school were Principal Micaela Philpot and Deputy J. Cobert, who is assigned to the school. The deputy was observed photographing the demonstration, and he was confronted by several adult demonstrators, challenging his right to do so.
The high school reported more than 175 absences that day. The students who demonstrated received no other discipline.