And it's another shortened school day for students in East Orange amid unrest from the teachers after the district announced 75 positions are being cut.

The East Orange Board of Education announced the layoffs Wednesday night as they try to figure out how to make up a roughly $10 million budget gap.

Now, the layoffs include four district employees and 71 in school staff.

Teachers started calling out sick on Thursday in protest, despite warnings from their union that any job action, like calling out in masks, could require courts to get involved.

Meanwhile, parents have been left scrambling to find childcare and wrap their heads around what this means for the rest of the school year.

The layoffs take effect in December.

Many showed up to voice their frustration at a town hall last night.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis reports.

Things quickly got heated.

I'm here tonight.

The question to the best of my ability.

East Orange Schools Superintendent Christopher Irving faced scrutiny and an emotional crowd last night during a scheduled town hall meeting.

That came on the heels of the district announcing it's laying off 75 personnel, including teachers, counselors and other support staff in their schools due to having to console both my nine and 11 year old daughters who were distraught because of what you guys did last night.

These people are part of our families.

What are you going to do to address the social emotional needs of the students in East Orange?

You're getting rid of all the social workers, and it's very important that these children have somebody that they feel safe to talk to.

When teachers learned of the layoffs.

So many called out that the district called a half day yesterday and again today, calling a half day at 712 in the morning.

As we are already on our way, the district told us it's facing an $8 million shortfall, saying costs have gone up, while state funding from the school funding formula known as S2 has remained flat.

Irving's critical of that funding model, given that East Orange was once an Abbott district controlled by the state.

York received 100 million.

Our colleagues in Irvington and Orange receive almost 15 to $30 million, respectively, and we got 200,000.

And for us, we know that's unfair, and it's forcing our district to continue to make very difficult decisions.

Irving says the layoffs of 71 in school staff and four district employees will save between 7 to $9 million, but won't interfere with education.

Class sizes are not going to increase as a result of this action.

Again, we're taking our coaches, folks who have not been in the classroom, you know, for some time.

They're not moving back in the classes.

And so those coaches will then, you know, indirectly, shift, those folks who are newer to the district out of the district.

And we're going to help those individuals transition.

But I want to be very clear, these movements will not impact the day to day classroom instruction.

Irving is new to the district and got a pass from some parents acknowledging he's only been there since July.

But teachers who will be let go in December gave him no such grace.

How do you explain me and all the other teachers that are now being laid off?

Are we not directly impacted?

I mean, not directly teaching in the classroom.

Everything you say is 110% correct.

I mean, in light of the things found out, come mid August, you should know the conditions should have to go.

And I want to tell you, you know, it may not do anything for the psychology, and I'm sorry.

Allison Tilley is a pre-K teacher who was just hired in August.

Irving says during his transition into the district, positions were listed in the budget that were actually not budgeted for.

Now he has to make those hard cuts.

As for those class sizes, the schools in East Orange have not been fully staffed for a while.

I went to a back to school night at them, and one class had, 103 students in it.

That is, acceptable.

You know, we are taking a step back, and it is a dramatic step back so we can finally stabilize the budget and offer every job that we have in the district to ensure that every single class and the teacher.

He said it's also an effort to ensure the state doesn't once again have to take over the district.

What would be so wrong with the state taking over?

If you're not going to be truthful with us at this point?

If we let the state come into the school district to take over when they do the development, it's not our community that's going to make the decision about how this community moves forward.

We’re not making that move.

The governor's office told us in a statement he is aware of the situation, and the Department of Education is closely monitoring the impact of East Orange School District's decision.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Joanna Gagis..