40 metro schools will open for polling Thursday and some parents are worried as kids will be in school. 

“Our safety of our kids is a little more important than them having one last half day of school, let’s just keep them home and keep them safe,” Destiny Smith told News 2.  

The mother to three little girls is urging parents to walk in and walk out Thursday. 

She says the usual school entrance policies won’t be in place Thursday and the gym doors will be open. 

“School should be a safe place and generally it is but in this day in age you just never know.”  

There have been 23 school shootings this year where someone was injured or died, including accidents and suicides. 

“It can happen anywhere and those are our babies and every time there’s a school shooting, my heart, I get goose bumps because I know that is somebody else’s baby,” Smith explained.  

When she realized two of her little girls at West Meade Elementary would be in school during the May 1 election she sat in the hall and helped man the doors.  

“I couldn’t deem who was suspicious or not, but if somebody came in with a gun I could scream before they shot me and alert somebody,” she said.  

This time Smith plans to walk in with her kids and walk out with them.  

“We are literally going to walk in, we get there about 7:45, get our report cards, hug goodbye and we are out.”  

She hopes other parents will join her in taking a stand.  

“It’s generated a lot of interest and I hope a lot of parents will do it. I know it’s not going to change election for this time, I don’t expect it to, but maybe in the future somebody will say hey this is crazy let’s take steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”  

Smith says the school has taken several steps to ensure the kids safety including keeping the classroom doors locked. 

Metro School officials said they are required by law to open as a polling place due to public tax dollars that contribute to school funds.  

MNPS sought approval from the commissioner of education to close schools on May 24. However, the request was denied.  

School officials said kids that miss will get an unexcused absence.