Dozens of students at Deering High School are organizing a schoolwide strike, encouraging their peers to not attend school on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd. Students began organizing on Monday after the Portland Public School district rejected the request of a student and staff petition to switch to remote learning for Tuesday's high stakes election day. With Deering serving as a polling location, both student and teacher anxiety has increased with fears of safety and learning disruptions on their campus. 

Political polarization is increasingly shaping the student experience, leaving many young people exhausted and anxious about safety in schools. Many were motivated to request a remote day on November 3 in large part because of Election Day in 2024 when a lockdown took place at Deering High School due to threats. With a national spotlight on the Senate race between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson, and the recent activity involving federal agents in Portland, many are left feeling unsafe attending school in person this election.

“Our friends started this petition to not have school on Election Day because of how dangerous it can be,” said Deering High School senior Zamzam A. She handed out flyers in the hallway Monday afternoon. The flyers read “DHS Students, Stay Home! Let’s skip the lockdown,” reference to the lockdown that happened on Election Day 2024. The flyer also referenced students’ feeling of dismissal by the Portland Public school board with text that reads, “The board can’t ignore us!” 

Deering's role as a polling location has raised many questions about who will be entering the building and what that could mean for the safety of students and staff.

Jessica Bean, a social studies teacher at Deering High School, was among those who emailed Superintendent Ryan Scallon, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Dr. Tremain Holloway, and the school board advocating for a remote learning day. Bean expressed concerns about potential risk facing Deering’s diverse student population and the presence of federal agents, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, in the area.

“My concerns are that our diverse population potentially makes us a target for people who don’t support that diversity and I’m concerned about the presence of federal agents in the area even if they are not coming into the voting section of the school,” Bean said. “I think it puts our students and some of our staff at unnecessary risk. A remote day would maintain some level of learning and ensure everyone’s safety.”

The response from the district, according to Bean, was that the school calendar was already set and was unable to be changed even with the recent concerns raised.

Deering Principal Aris Ayala Cruz acknowledged the concerns among students and staff, saying the situation requires balancing community fears with the schools responsibility to provide education.

“I definitely really care about what students feel and what they think, and same with the staff. And, you know, I think as a principal, it's really difficult to balance decisions that are made and making sure that we're delivering on students' educational experiences and at the same time balancing the real fears and worries that exist amongst the community.”

Ayala Cruz confirmed that the school board planned to keep schools open for Election Day while recognizing that the use of Deering High School as a polling location has been creating concerns. 

“I think there are ways that we can better prepare for future elections,” Ayala Cruz said, suggesting the city work with the school district to possibly find alternative polling locations.

But the Deering student body remains heavily divided on the issue, some students support the idea of keeping the building open, expressing the importance of voting.

“I think that people's votes should be represented and if Deering is a place to do that, that's good,” said Deering High School junior Vesta M.

Others remain uncomfortable with the idea of sharing the building with the public during voting.

 “I don't feel safe having other people in the school,” said Deering junior Huck T.

Despite concerns, Ayala Cruz said they feel confident in their ability to maintain a level of safety on campus.

“I'm mostly concerned about how students and staff are feeling, there are real fears that a lot of people are holding right now,” they said.

For students organizing the strike, they feel they have a right to have their concerns properly met. They argue that students should be able to have a voice in decisions that directly affect their safety and believe a remote learning day would allow classes to continue without requiring students to attend in person.

As Election Day approaches, students are preparing to turn concerns into a collective call for safety accountability and action, making one message clear: feeling safe in school isn’t negotiable.