Kelley said she encouraged students to have their parents come and take them to the Capitol if possible, though most decided to go there on their own.

As many as 800 West High School students also marched to the Capitol around 10 a.m., senior Jacob Fiksel said.

They marched up State Street and rallied outside that entrance to the Capitol.

The event was organized through posters at the school and on Facebook. They said they plan to return to school around 2 p.m.

"People are really upset that the Republican senators passed this bill illegally — they did not give 24 hours notice," Fiksel said. "We feel like it's a slap in the face."

Teachers stayed in their classrooms, he added.

District spokesman Ken Syke confirmed some students walked out at Hamilton Middle School. He said the reported numbers were small and that classes continued as usual otherwise.

"These are not school-sponsored activities, so the students are on their own," Syke said.

Hamilton eighth-grader Jack Becker spoke to a crowd of hundreds of protesters outside the Capitol.