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The Day The Music Died: LA School Protests Budget Cuts

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Dozens of students and teachers made a lot of noise outside a local middle school on Thursday to protest against budget cuts that could silence its musicians.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports as many as seven teachers could lose their jobs at Florence Nightingale Middle School, which could be a death blow to the school's music program.

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The demonstration, which took place before classes started outside Florence Nightingale Middle School, was aimed at the latest budget-balancing decisions by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Math and science teacher David Meyerhoff, who is also the teacher's union chapter chairman at the school, said these cuts should not be blamed on a lack of funds.

"We are calling upon the district to rescind all layoffs of LAUSD employees" Meyerhoff said, adding that the district should not be spending money on consultants and administrators while cutting positions in the school themselves.

The cuts were anything but expected for longtime music teacher Jennifer Elliot.

"Absolutely not," Elliot said. "Not after ten years in the district."

(©2010 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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