JEFFERSON TWP — Some South Butler School District students and their parents, along with some district support staff, marched this morning in protest of the strike by teachers.

"We're here to tell the teachers they're ridiculous," said Emily Barnett, a Knoch High School student, whose mother had worked in the cafeteria before the strike put her out of a job.

Paige McMurray, another high school student, joined the rally, saying she and her mother live on far less than a teacher's salary.

"When you see them striking and you see them leaving, you see their fancy cars," she said.

The group gathered in the Knoch High School student parking lot Wednesday under the watch of three state police cruisers. The cruisers moved as the crowd did, but didn't interject.

Donna Martin, a parent of a high school student, organized Wednesday's rally as the second such rally of the strike. She and others gathered Sept. 22 for a smaller rally. She asked people if they wanted to sign a petition for legislation to make teacher strikes unlawful in the state and encouraged attendees to make respectful signs.

The strike of the 185 teachers in the district began Sept. 14 and is expected to continue through Tuesday, said Butch Santicola, spokesman for the teachers. Teachers are required to return to the classroom Oct. 8. After that, the arbitration process will begin.

This is the second strike in the same contract dispute. The last contract with the teachers expired June 30, 2008, and teachers went on strike for 18 school days during October and November of that year.