Many parents of students at P.S. 24 fear that recent budget cuts and layoffs will affect their children's education.

Representatives from the city's Department of Education say 550 school aides across the city will be laid off by Oct. 16 as a result of budget cuts. They say decisions were left up to principals regarding what they wanted to cut within their designated schools. Most of those being laid off are junior members of staffs. The positions will be filled by senior staff members that will be reassigned from other schools.

Parents, fearing that the quality of education will suffer, plan to fight the layoffs.