OCEANSIDE — On April 10, Oceanside High School teachers and students dressed in black and held protest signs outside of the school opposing proposed state budget cuts in education that caused 72 teachers in the district to be laid off.

Gayle Hamilton, a counselor at Oceanside High School and an Oceanside Teacher Association representative, said protest demonstrations took place at every Oceanside school that day to raise public awareness.

“We’re losing 10 teachers at this site alone,” Hamilton said. The lay-off at the high school will affect 50 sections of classes.

“We’re hoping there will be some change in the budget,” Hamilton said.

The $4.8 million cut to the California state budget will be felt in classrooms come September, with a 35 percent increase in class sizes statewide and elimination of all music, art and career education programs.

Student teacher Matt Clinton said he is not confident the state has the correct priorities. “I don’t know if the value is on education,” Clinton said.

“My understanding is we’re 45th in the nation in per-pupil spending,” said Dean Capralis, a library science teacher. “To drop further is too much.”

A rally to raise awareness is tentatively planned for May when final pink slips will be handed out to teachers, Hamilton said.