Student Protests Grow, Spread to Md.

Apparently worried that schools would bar students from leaving, one flier's author warned students not to enter school buildings. However, school officials in Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church said students were not locked in or prevented from leaving. In fact, Bob Snee, principal of George Mason High School in Falls Church, said some parents had called to approve their children's departures, making their absences excused. Prince William and Fairfax counties have similar policies.

In Arlington, absences for protests are considered unexcused, regardless of parental permission. Arlington schools spokeswoman Linda Erdos said one unexcused absence on an otherwise good record would not hurt a student, but chronic absences would lower grades and could lead to in-school suspensions. Erdos said 600 to 700 Arlington students, including 60 middle schoolers, joined yesterday's march.

Some Fairfax students said they had heard students with unexcused absences could face suspension or, for organizers, expulsion. Fairfax schools spokesman Paul Regnier said it was too early to know what the punishments would be.

In Prince William County, school officials said that, effective Wednesday, students with unexcused absences due to protests would be suspended until a meeting could be arranged with their parents to decide on a punishment.

But Arlington students said many faculty members were supportive. "On Tuesday [when a similar march took place] one of our vice principals said that he was really proud of us," said Elizabeth Raftery, 18, a senior at Wakefield High School.

And at Montgomery County's Einstein, one student reported that many teachers left their classrooms and clapped to show support.

In a letter to parents yesterday, Arlington School Superintendent Robert G. Smith said that "demonstrations regarding civic issues represent a longstanding tradition in our democratic society," but encouraged students to protest outside school hours. Protests were planned today by students from other Northern Virginia schools.

In Arlington, more than 100 police officers from Arlington, the Pentagon, Fairfax County and the state watched over the march, said Arlington police spokesman Matt Martin, adding that the hour-long protest was peaceful. Afterward, students were ferried back to their schools in buses sent by their districts.

Linda Slape, 14, a freshman at Wakefield and an organizer, said she was not worried about missing class.

"This is more important, because this is now and school is for the next four years," she said. "We want to do something that makes a difference today."

Staff writers Lori Aratani, Maria Glod and Ian Shapira contributed to this report.