Students in all 20 schools that make up the East Orange School District had an unexpected half-day on Thursday.

It’s believed to be related to a lack of staffing due to a mass call-out by teachers.

The call-out was supposedly a job action taken by teachers after learning more than 70 teachers and staff will be laid off on Dec. 15.

At 12:45 p.m., parents gathered at the gate to the Louverture Elementary School as their students were released. Some of the parents say the half day - due to what the district termed "unforeseen circumstances" - was a hardship.

Parent Kyla Mitchell said she had to take her son to work.

“I’m a hairstylist and it is affecting me because I have to take him all the way to New York with me,” Mitchell said.

She says she can sympathize with the teachers but thinks the mass call-out may be misguided. Mitchell added that her son's teacher has been out for three days.

“The students, they need their teachers or they’re not going to learn. That’s really the issue,” she said. "He didn’t have homework for the last three days. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’”

Over 70 teachers and staffers learned at a meeting on Wednesday night that they will be laid off in December. Some held signs that said “Respect Our Teachers,” but the superintendent explained the district has no money.

Superintendent Christopher Irving told the crowd on hand something has to be done.

“We are short in our personnel line, from a budgeting standpoint, by almost $24 million,” Irving said. “We will not make payroll this year in the months of May and June.”

Irving showed the crowd data that explained the reason for this shortfall and layoffs is a lack of state aid.

Nearby Newark, Irvington and Orange received millions of dollars in extra state aid this year. East Orange was only granted a bump of $200,000.

The superintendent warned if cuts aren’t made, the district could potentially face a state takeover - an action Irving cautioned that parents would not like.