DALTON, Ga. — When Northwest Whitfield High School students in north Georgia walk out of class on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in support of stricter gun control, senior Greer Threadgill plans to join them.

“I just think it’s bigger than politics,” Threadgill said. “It’s about understanding something needs to change and this is a good start.”

In a message posted on social media, organizers called on students to leave their second period classes at 10 a.m. Wednesday and meet at the flagpole. There, they will “discuss gun reform, ideas for improvement and how you can help make a difference in our country.” Students will disperse at 10:17 a.m. and return to third period by 10:20 a.m. Students are urged to be peaceful, keeping distractions to a minimum.

The local protest is part of a “National School Walkout” on Wednesday where students across the country are encouraged to speak out about gun control. The 17 minutes of protest represent the 17 students and staff members killed in the shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. Since the shooting, debate on both sides of gun control has ratcheted to a fever pitch.

After consulting with the school system’s attorney, Whitfield County Schools Superintendent Judy Gilreath said students will be allowed to protest.

“What I have been told is that they have a First Amendment right to make their opinions heard,” she said.

Gilreath said she has given guidelines to principals to deal with political protests.

“These are for the safety of the students. That is my main concern,” she said.

According to the guidelines, any walkouts must be student-led and students could “neither be encouraged or discouraged” if they choose to walk out, she said.

“They must designate a place for them to meet. They can’t just let them roam around. They must make sure they have sufficient staff to supervise them,” she said. “They can take 17 minutes and then they must come back in.”

Asked if this would apply to any students who wish to counter protest that day or hold a future protest on a different topic, Gilreath reiterated that the advice she had been given was that “as long as it is quiet and orderly and safe” the school system cannot prevent it.

The school system has been “placed between a rock and a hard place” where it must allow students to exercise their constitutional rights while also minimizing disruptions to class, Gilreath said.

School board member Louis Fordham said Friday night he was out of town and had not heard about the planned protest. If the walkout happens, it would be the first protest he is aware of.

“We haven’t dealt with this before, so the board does not have a policy,” Fordham said. “I don’t think the board would advise taking any advance action. That could make things worse.”

Another Northwest Whitfield student, junior Arturo Aguilar, wasn’t sure if he would participate.

“I’m not really for it or against it,” Aguilar said. “It’s up to each individual. We all have our own opinions. (The walkout) is for those who are up for it and those who are against (gun violence). It’s all up to the students. If you feel like it, go for it. If you don’t have the nerve for it, stay in class.”

Both Aguilar and Greer are concerned there will be backlash from the administration for those who protest.

Tensions in Whitfield County were heightened after a nearby Dalton High School teacher fired a gun in his classroom on Feb. 28. No one was shot or seriously injured. The teacher, Randal Davidson, is jailed facing several charges. The incident led to increased dialogue locally about school safety.

(Sports writer Jacob Hoag contributed to this report.)