SYRACUSE -- More than 100 people, mostly teachers, braved the rain to protest painful cuts in the Syracuse City School District.

They lined the sidewalk in front of District Headquarters on Harrison Street, blowing whistles, holding signs and encouraging drivers to honk their horns in the name of education.  Teachers say cutting jobs in the district ultimately hurts students.

"Each year I feel like we get down to the bare bones," said teacher Mary Lou Balcom.  "I think these last cuts are really going to be devastating to the schools."

The district has been able salvage between 80-90 because of a restoration in funding from Albany.  Superintendent Dan Lowengard said it's not enough and blames, what he called, Albany's unfair distribution of funding that leaves urban school districts in a tough spot.  He said it's why 500 jobs are still on the chopping block in Syracuse City Schools.

"It's awful -- they're all giving services to children," he said.  "They're not all teachers -- it's about 150 teachers, but that's not what we're in business to do.

Board members did not amend a new budget to account for the restoration in state funding.  They say they will wait until next month to address that issue, once they have a clearer picture on what to expect from the city.