Students, parents and school workers rallied outside of the Bronx’s PS 66 in West Farms last week to protest the planned layoff of some 700 city school workers, among them aides, parent coordinators and other school support staff.

The layoffs are the result of state and city budget cuts, and if a compromise isn’t reached, the employees on the chopping block could be out of work within the next few weeks.

“Most of those job losses would be felt in East New York, Brownsville, Williamsburg, Washington Heights, and the south Bronx. These communities are already in need of enhanced social services and are suffering with higher unemployment rates,” said Santos Crespo, president of local Union 372, which represents the workers. “The economic sense in laying off city workers does not add up.”

According to the New York Times, the Dept. of Education this week rejected a negotiation offer by the union to cut back on employees’ hours and holiday time to cut costs and avert layoffs.

“We need these workers in our schools,” said Minerva Morales, of the Coalition for Educational Justice-New York Civic Participation Project. “We know what our children have to deal with every day, and they need support people to be there for them to keep them safe and ready for the classroom.”