As promised during a spirited appearance at Tuesday's Portland Public Schools board meeting, students from Lincoln High walked out of class Wednesday to protest plans to push a vote on a $750 million construction bond until May.

Hundreds walked out of class about 9 a.m. and marched toward Pioneer Courthouse Square, with chants including "PPS is a mess" and "pass that bond." Later, the marchers gathered in front of Portland City Hall and spoke with Mayor Charlie Hales' chief of staff, Tera Pierce.

Their goal? Persuading board members to hold a special meeting by Thursday, the deadline to place measures on the November ballot, and reverse course.

"Personally, I didn't want this to happen," Michael Ioffe, the protest's lead organizer, said Wednesday. "It came to this because the district wouldn't even suggest another community session to discuss the issue."

By 11 a.m., the protesters, accompanied and monitored by teachers and principal Peyton Chapman, had largely agreed to return to class.

"They're applying the principles of civic action they've learned," Chapman said. "They'll probably remember this for the rest of their lives, standing up for something they believe in."

The students' activism followed a holiday weekend filled with impassioned pleas to board members demanding a November vote. Leading parents and activists sent a letter to district leaders Friday claiming the district's own internal polling showed slim hopes for success in May, when fewer and more tax-averse voters are expected to turn out.

Board members voted 4-3 to press ahead with the delay, arguing they need time to plot out safety and environmental fixes in the wake of the summer's lead controversy. But that vote wasn't even on the agenda until students and others spoke out.

Lincoln is one of three high schools the board wants to repair with what it hopes will be its second major construction bond, after voters supported a nearly $500 million request in 2012.

Until late July, the school board, advised by parents, builders and others, had proceeded with plans to advance a $750 million bond this fall to remake Lincoln, Benson and Madison high schools and refresh and make safe Kellogg Middle School so it can reopen as needed.

Students who spoke Tuesday night said they wanted working toilets and clean water, fixes for asbestos tile and more room. Some are attending classes in a nearby church because of overcrowding.

"It's ridiculous. You walk into the bathroom and you're like 'I really have to pee' well the line is 15-20 students long and there are two working stalls and none of the sinks work so you have to bring your own hand sanitizer because that's disgusting," said Marin Christensen, 17. "There is caution tape everywhere you go."

There are big containers around to catch falling tiles that have asbestos, Lincoln student Lauryn Wilk said. When it rains, which in Portland is often, the crumbling ceiling leaks.

"They have to keep the tub there, but that fills with water so then they have to empty it so debris doesn't splash us," Wilk said.

For students who have classes in the nearby church, the walk alone cuts five to 10 minutes from their school day. Sometimes the church isn't even available.

"That whole church and state separation thing isn't quite working out," Katie Swigart, 16, laughed. "Because the choir has to rehearse in our classroom we have to have a walking field trip for two or three classes so we can't even be in our classroom. We have to find somewhere else to work."

Wilk said she had a chemistry class with broken sinks.

"When we would do chemical experiments we would just have to put our chemicals in a bucket for about a semester, which I'm sure breaks some health violation or something," Wilk said.

In explaining his position against a November bond to students Tuesday night, school board member Steve Buel said he had a responsibility to think about not just current students' needs but future students' needs.

That didn't sit well with some of the high school students, who if a bond was passed would be out of school by the time rebuilds were complete.

"When that man in there was talking about the little kids, those little kids are our siblings! Of course we care." Julia Espinosa, 16, said. "Of course we are not making it better for ourselves. We are making it better for future generations. It's just shoved off because we are high school students and they feel like it."

On Wednesday, Ioffe said he didn't expect the march to range so far from Lincoln, passing through downtown before culminating outside Portland City Hall, where Hales' chief of staff came down to ask for a letter to share with the City Council.

But even though the board seemed resolute this week, he was hopeful.

"I hope something comes of it," he said.

-- Stephanie Yao Long and Bethany Barnes

An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed statements by Lauryn Wilk to Julia Espinosa. This has been corrected.