An early-morning decision by the Alameda School Board led to a massive walk out Wednesday.

The students told NBC11 they walked out in protest of major budget cuts that were announced early Wednesday morning.

VIDEO: Hundreds Of Students Walk Out Of East Bay High Schools SLIDESHOW: Encinal Students March In Protest

They said they spread the news of the protest through text messages.

The students said they are walking to the district offices, but stopped by Alameda High School on their way.

Once at Alameda High School the group gathered on the steps and held a rally.

Alameda High School students joined the protest.

Chopper11 flew over the scene and showed the students staying on the sidewalk and out of the roadway. Many of them were carrying signs with messages of protest.

Some of the signs said: "No Us No Future," "No Sports No School" and "You're Tearing Down Our Future." An SUV was driving alongside the stream of students for part of the route. Someone was holding a sign out of the sunroof.

At least one student was wearing an athlete's letter jacket.

Parents, teachers and students packed a school board meeting that lasted until 1:30 a.m.

At the end of the meeting, the board voted to increase class sizes and cut advanced placement classes, most high school sports, music in the elementary schools and counselors in the middle schools.

The sports programs alone lost 50 percent of its funding, NBC11 reported.

Student body president Ian Merrifield told NBC11's Kris Sanchez the students have no plans to go back to class.

When NBC11's Ethan Harp asked the principal if he thought students would go back to class.

He said, "Would you go back to class if you were 16 years old and out in this beautiful day?"

Students were called into a meeting to discuss the possibility of putting a parcel tax measure on the ballot to save the sports program.