Officials at Muncie Community Schools say the district will support students who choose to participate in a national walkout next week.

Wednesday’s coordinated national action includes a 17-minute walkout to honor the 17 people killed in a school shooting in Florida last month.

The emergency management team at MCS says those high school students that voluntarily walk out at 10:00 AM will head to the football field to hear speakers talk about gun violence and the law.

Some school districts across the country have threatened to punish students with disciplinary action if they participate in such events.  That has led many universities to reassure students applying for college that their admissions teams won’t hold that action against the applicant.

Ball State University in Muncie is one such school, saying that peaceful protest will not affect anyone’s admission.  Other public and private colleges in Indiana – from Indiana University and Purdue to Vice President Mike Pence’s alma mater Hanover College – have made the same pledge.

Also in Muncie, Ball State University students are planning a campus walkout.