BALTIMORE, Md. – Baltimore’s Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School #13 turned students away Wednesday because teachers reported sick en masse to protest the district budget.

Those who stayed at school anyway watched movies and played in the gym, where a few teachers and administrators who did show up watched over them until 2:30, CBS Baltimore reports.

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“They said there’s no point in even bringing your kids to school, there’s no one here,” parent Shawnita Beverly told the news site.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it,” said Nakita Dorman, another parent. “I’m upset with whoever the reason is why these teachers are staying home. It’s not right.”

The teacher “sick-out” is reportedly in response to Baltimore Public Schools’ announcement of a $130 million budget shortfall next year that could force officials to lay off more than 1,000 employees.

The collective tantrum comes despite a district graduation rate of about 70 percent, as well as other dismal student proficiency data. Performance of fifth-graders on the Maryland School Assessment test in science, for example, has steadily decreased from an unacceptable 39 percent of students proficient in 2008 to a mere 25 percent in 2016. Eighth-grade science scores showed just 29 percent of students proficient, according to the 2016 Maryland Report Card.

Students didn’t fare much better in other subjects. The most recent 2015 MSA results for Algebra for all students shows just over half tested proficient or better in the subject, with similar results for English and biology.

In other words, Tench Tilghman teachers are more concerned with their paychecks than preparing students for college, or life after school.

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And they’re not exactly endearing themselves to the folks who will ultimately decide the budget cuts over the coming year.

“I am extremely disappointed that staff members may have chosen to express their anxiety about school budgets by disrupting teaching and learning for our students and compromising students’ access to the services and supports we provide in a safe, positive school environment,” district CEO Sonja Santelises said in a statement cited by The Baltimore Sun.

“I encourage all City Schools staff members and the entire City Schools community to seek out ways to advocate for our students that are not at the same time detrimental to the very young people we serve.”

Sick-outs are a common union work action used in other school districts like Detroit to protest budget decisions or layoffs. Essentially, they’re a method of holding school districts hostage in areas where teacher strikes are illegal.

In Baltimore, the teachers union publicly condemned members who called in sick on Wednesday.

“Any action that is perceived as a strike is illegal, and is neither condoned, nor supported, by the Baltimore Teachers Union,” according to a BTU statement. “These actions negatively impact the classroom and put teachers and our students at risk.”