STUDENTS in Alaska’s capital walked out of school on Thursday and marched through the halls of the statehouse to protest at the Republican governor’s latest education veto and the state legislature’s failure to override it.

The walkout in Juneau was part of a protest organised by the executive board of the Alaska Association of Student Governments, said student organiser Felix Myers.

Plans called for 40-minute walkouts at schools across Alaska, with 40 representing the number of votes that legislators needed to override the veto by Governor Mike Dunleavy. 

Mr Myers said: “We’ve tried to be heard, we’ve tried to be listened to and we’ve been ignored, and that’s why we’ve gotten to this point.”

Mr Dunleavy vetoed a package passed by legislators in March that called for a $175 million (£138m) increase in aid to districts through a school funding formula. 

He complained that the measure lacked provisions he supported, including a three-year programme offering annual bonuses of up to $15,000 (£12,000) as a way to attract and retain teachers, after they failed to win the support of the legislators. 

During Thursday’s walkout, students from Juneau-Douglas High School marched roughly a mile to the state capitol, with some carrying handmade signs and chanting slogans such as “fund our future.”