When the new school year starts in August, the Armstrong School District will have fewer teachers and one fewer registered nurse.

The school board voted in favor of those cuts during a meeting on Monday night.

"Our students deserve better than cuts and furloughs," Kevan Landstrom, Armstrong Education Association president and teacher, said. 

Despite strong pushback from the community, nine teachers and a nurse are out of a job after the board voted to eliminate their positions. 

"Our community lost some great educators. We are devastated to lose these people — qualified staff, friends and colleagues," Landstrom said.  

The board president says it was the best compromise they could reach to pass the budget for the coming school year. 

"We were attempting to do what's most fiscally responsible for both taxpayers and our stakeholders, as well as limiting the impact on the students," board president Jason Elkin said. 

The crowd of more than 100 teachers at Monday night's meeting, holding signs that read "no cuts," wholeheartedly disagreed with Elkin. They emphatically believe the decision to furlough will directly hurt the students. Not only is the district losing educators, but the cuts will impact the high school library and wipe out the French department.

"Both Kelly and I have library K through 12 and instructional technology certificates. We are not simply people who are just checking books in and out for students," librarian Barb Meleason said. "The lasting effects of removing certified librarians will be much more far-reaching and will affect the entire school community, including test scores."  

Also at Monday night's meeting, the board voted down a tax increase.

• Armstrong County