Educators and community members are upset with the East Orange School District because officials plan to lay off dozens of staff members due to budget cuts.

The group gathered on Monday night at the East Orange City Council meeting to ask the city to reconsider the plans.

Educators, parents, community members and even young students lined up asking the city to help fund the school district and to advocate for these positions to county and state leaders.

Parent and former East Orange teacher, Simone Jelks-Bandison told News 12 that she took her kids out of the East Orange School District due to a lack of resources.

"It's a scary time to know that you can't send your kids to a school that's in your own neighborhood and feel safe that your kids are going to be number one, well-educated and protected,” she says.

"I'm just hoping that by being here with the City Council, that things will start to be seen that they might not have noticed,” says Keith Hinton, president of the East Orange Education Association.

He told the council this is the result of fiscal mismanagement by school district administration and staff members have been working under an expired contract over the last few years.

"Some of the kids are going to miss the opportunity to learn because the teachers are going to have to try harder and do a harder job than what the already are,” says Jazmine Parker, PTO president for Whitney Houston Academy.

City council members told the public they will continue to work with the board of education to come up with a solution.

School officials previously said the district’s current budget is $24 million short. If these cut-backs aren’t made, Superintendent Christopher Irving has explained no one is getting paid in May.

News 12 reached out to the school district for an updated statement in response to Monday night's meeting and is waiting to hear back.