LAUSD Classroom (Creative Commons)

A group of about 100 protesters gathered outside of the LAUSD headquarters on Tuesday . As the second largest school district in the nation, the LAUSD’s budget cuts have been vast—almost 6,100 employees have been shifted to other positions or lost their jobs completely. The most recent cuts did not include teachers, but other staff members--like library aids and plant managers--were asked to leave.

Those LAUSD employees lucky enough to remain in the system are being shuffled around, having to start over again at new locations and some even have to take jobs with less hours and lower pay rates  .  Employees who had formed strong connections to their school community over the time they spent there are saddened that they can’t remain.

"I know every kid's name. I know their parents, their siblings," said Carole Koneff, a library aide at Third Street Elementary, "you're part of the DNA of the school, you're part of the makeup.”

In addition to the firing of 1,000 of its staff, the LAUSD shuffled about 2,040 employees into different positions with the same pay rate, and 1,600 into positions with lower pay or less hours.  

“This sounds so corny … the library is where the heart of the school is," said Barbara Jane Harpe, "It's where everyone drifts to. Teachers and kids would come in and talk to me, and tell me their problems. It's an odd job, but it's really important to me."

The layoffs are in response to an ongoing deficit. The district currently faces a $142 million budget shortfall.

Reach reporter Melissa Dempsy here.