SOUTH BEND — WSBT News has learned the South Bend school board turned down a request Wednesday night for Hillary Clinton to visit Washington High School.

Secret Service agents had been at the school the past two days. School board member Bill Sniadecki said Superintendent Robert Zimmerman told him the school's focus should be education and he did not want to put students in harm's way.

Sniadecki says the board was polled by the superintendent's office and members were 6-to-1 against the idea. He claims three were against the idea outright. Three others had concerns, among them Dawn Jones.

She said late Wednesday she originally told the superintendent's office that if they allowed Clinton to visit they would have to allow Barack Obama. She says she then called back and said she thought it was a good educational opportunity for the students.

Despite the last minute hitch, local Democrats says they'll find a venue big enough to accommodate Clinton's visit, even if it's not in South Bend.

“If it’s going to be in St. Joe County, it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to get from one place to the other, if you’re really trying. So I don’t see this as a problem as far as accessibility," said county Democratic Party chairman Butch Morgan.

"My main concern is our kids. This is part of history. This is what we try to teach them. They're coming to that age of politics. We want them to vote,” said Sniadecki.

School Board member Ann Rosen said Wednesday night that she told the superintendent's office she did not make decisions in two minutes. She said she had reservations, but she wouldn't say no.

She was told the corporation has a long standing practice against events like this during the school day because it would be disruptive for students.

Board president Shiela Bergeron said that's why she was against it.

As for the security concerns, Sniadecki says Washington High would have been the safest place to be Friday with Secret Service on site.

We tried to contact Superintendent Robert Zimmerman for an interview. According to a spokesperson, "he has nothing to say on the matter."

Click on the link in the Related Content box to see a press release issued by the school corporation explaining Supt. Zimmerman's decision.

We tried to call Clinton's Indiana campaign to see where else she might go in South Bend. They had not returned our calls late Wednesday.