Teachers were demonstrating outside Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters downtown Tuesday as its board was expected to vote on a budget that could layoff as many 5,000 employees, including 1,400 teachers, over two years.

Despite a schools building boom — much of that money comes from separate funding — the district is looking at $1.2 million in red ink over the next two years, according to Associated Press. That's more than city of Los Angeles' own, projected $400 million deficit.

The teacher's union, United Teachers Los Angeles, has organized a demonstration outside district headquarters at 333 S. Beaudry Ave. The union says the district is also considering cutting teachers' salaries by 12 percent and forcing them to take “furlough” days of (PDF).

The proposed teacher cuts could increase class sizes from an average of 24 students to 29, according to AP.

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