SHEFFIELD — From frustration over teacher layoffs to anger about immigration enforcement activity, students at two South County schools walked out Wednesday with a common goal — to make their voices heard.

“It’s our future, and we will use our voices to defend it," Mount Everett junior Emeline Krauz said. "We will not be stripped of our classes, of our teachers, our programs. Our voices will be heard.”

Krauz said students were standing up not only for their own education, but for the future of the district as a whole.

More than 100 students walked out of Mount Everett at 2 p.m., dressed in red — the color associated with teacher appreciation — and holding signs about the importance of quality teachers and school programs.

"This is bigger than a single department," Krauz told the crowd of students. "This is bigger than just a single teacher. We are fighting for them, but we're also fighting for everyone, because this is not OK. We have voices; they will be heard again."

Students conducted a walkout on Wednesday in solidarity with the teachers who were let go last week at Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield.

The walkout came about a week after 20 faculty members in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District were notified by email during the school day that they would not have jobs next year because of budget cuts.

The equivalent of 21.3 full-time positions are being cut to balance the budget, according to Superintendent Brian Ricca, though a budget has not yet been approved by the School Committee or the district’s five-member towns.

In contrast to the dim mood that has filled the hallways since word spread about the cuts, the group remained energetic and upbeat as students chanted for the reinstatement of their teachers and marched between the school’s two entrances.

Students conducted a walkout on Wednesday in solidarity with the teachers who were let go last week at Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield.

Students also used humor to cope with the uncertainty, joking with the crowd by asking, “Where are my theater nerds?” before discussing the impact of losing the school’s only chorus teacher.

Senior Jade Brown, who helped organize the walkout, said the turnout was impressive for a school with fewer than 300 students.

“It’s nice to see how many kids care,” Brown said. “I hope parents and teachers take away that students do care about this stuff.”

Students conducted a walkout on Wednesday afternoon in solidarity with the teachers who were let go last week at Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield.

Several signs featured variations of “Don’t cut what makes our school great" and "The kids are watching how you're treating our teachers."

Other signs highlighted concerns about cutting the already small English department, including one intentionally misspelling “teachers” as “teechers” to criticize declining literacy rates.

“We won’t get the education we need if we are silent,” senior Alexis Peck yelled from the crowd.

Brown said students are hopeful they can create change by continuing to speak out.

“This is just completely damaging the integrity of our futures,” Krauz said. “These are people who have been teaching here and who have had impacts on each and every one of our lives.”

In the neighboring town of Great Barrington, about 100 students walked out earlier in the day carrying signs protesting ICE presence in Berkshire County and lined Route 7 in front of Monument Mountain Regional High School. As cars drove by honking in support, students cheered and chanted in solidarity with the immigrant community.

Students conducted a walkout on Wednesday in solidarity with the teachers who were let go last week at Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield.

Representatives from Railroad Street Youth Project attended both walkouts to support students. They were there to encourage students to stand up for what they believe in and do what they can to help make that happen.

Sophomore Adriana Gutierrez organized the walkout to support immigrants and others impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across the county. She said she was both grateful for and surprised by the turnout, which drew more than 100 students.

Gutierrez added that it's about making sure people know that youth are going to stand up for what they believe in.

“If I can’t change the whole world, I can change someone’s opinion,” Gutierrez said. “The only thing we can do is talk about it and use our voices.”