Two teenagers threaded through lines of sign-waving students, dodged honking cars, pulled out their old-school boombox and pressed play. Out poured the first cords of Green Day’s “American Idiot.”

“We picked a song to go along with the rebellion thing that’s going on right now,” said Layla Lucero from behind shell-studded sunglasses.

Lucero and her friend Maya Frola were among hundreds of Douglas County students who checked into their final class Monday and walked out of school in support of former Superintendent Corey Wise. Wise was fired Friday night during an emergency Douglas County school board meeting. The vote was 4-3 in favor of Wise’s dismissal.

Many of the students told The Denver Gazette that they watched the meeting online with their parents. “How the voting went doesn’t made sense to me,” said 16-year-old Kailani Smile. Her friend, Amelia Orton, also 16, said: “I think the way he was fired was unprofessional and stupid.”

Elias Jordan, a seventh grader who joined the walkout late, said: “I’m 10% here for the walkout and 90% here just to skip language arts and wellness class.”

At Parker’s Chaparral High School, about 100 students gathered at the flagpole at the entrance just after 1:10 p.m. 

A Denver Gazette reporter tried to interview the students about their protest, but a security guard quickly escorted him to the sidewalk across the street from the school, at 15655 Brookstone Drive. 

Students chanted “We want change!” and after about 10 minutes, they began to march around the school. 

They made at least two laps around the school, which serves about 2,270 students. 

Tensions flared slightly as two students driving off campus shouted to two students walking away from the protest. 

“Get back to class,” the students shouted at each other. 

At Highlands Ranch High School, students lined the street in front of the entrance and pumped their fists as cars honked in support. They waved homemade signs that said, “Tell Us Why,” “Let the Sunshine In” and “Students for Equity.” At one point, another hundred students from nearby Cresthill Middle School walked up a snow-sodden path to join them and the crowd erupted in a chant, yelling “Corey! Corey!”

PHOTOS: DCSD Students Walk Out Over Superintendent Firing

Paula Hans, a spokeswoman for Douglas County School District, said she had no official numbers of how many of the district’s students walked out Monday. But 15-year-old Kohen Kasselder, who opted to skip the rally and go to class instead, said that most of the students in his Photoshop class were gone.

“I’m trying to get my education and get through school with the best grades possible,” said Kasselder, who said he wasn’t interested in moves made by the Douglas County school board. 

Kris Jehnsen, 16, also opted to stay in class instead of walking out. “It’s just a bunch of kids who leave because they can,” said Jehnsen, whose college level math class happened to be at the same time as the rally. 

Douglas County School District Board Public Education President Mike Peterson wrote The Gazette in a statement: 

“I recognize this is an emotional time for our community and want you to know I am committed to restoring peace and unity to our school district with a continued focus on educating our children.”

As students dispersed after an hour and eighteen minutes of protest, student walkout organizer Asella Straus, 16, crossed the street with a big smile on her face.

“I’m happy so many students showed they cared today,” she said. “I didn’t ever think that we could have put people before politics.”