MANCHESTER — Dozens of parents packed the aldermanic chambers Tuesday to deplore crowded classrooms and what they said was the chronic under-funding of city schools.

The comments came during the public participation period preceding the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, and they followed an opening week of the school year that saw hundreds of classes in the Manchester district exceed 30 students.

In one case, the superintendent acknowledged that two classes with more than 40 students were unsafe.

“I'm a proud veteran and a Central graduate,” Carl Hebert told the mayor and aldermen. “My son started as a freshman. I took him to school this year, and I'm ashamed of what this school has become. Go there and find out what being in a classroom with 40 teenagers is like.”

Several of the parents directed their frustration squarely at Mayor Ted Gatsas.

“As I look at the state of the schools, I can only look at you Mr. Gatsas and say you've failed this district,” said Chris Conrad, adding, “You guys sitting in those chairs? Come next year you won't be sitting there if you don't fix it.”

Due to budget cuts and layoffs, the district has about 150 fewer teachers and staff than last year.

Kimberly Hebert said the classes were so crowded that there weren't enough desks to go around. “My son has been rushing to his classes so he can get a desk. This is the situation at multiple schools, with students sitting on books or sharing a desk,” she said.

Several of the parents urged the aldermen to devote a greater share of the city's budget to the schools, noting that per-student spending in Manchester is among the lowest in the state. Two of the parents indicated that they would be willing to support a proposal put forward by Superintendent Thomas Brennan that some sports be eliminated to bolster the staffing budget.

Other parents said the problems made them question whether they would remain in Manchester, and they said they had family and friends who had already left.

“With every news story about Manchester schools, I can feel my property value dropping,” Lisa Drake said.

Pointing to the large turnout at the meeting, Kimberly Hebert said there was one positive aspect to the school problems experienced in the first week of the school year.

“One thing I can thank you for — I don't think citizens of Manchester have been so fired up about this as ever before. I will not back down when it comes to my kids and the children of Manchester.”

As is typical following a public comment session, neither the mayor nor the aldermen immediately responded to the comments.

Later in the aldermen's session, the aldermen took up the school issues.

Alderman Barbara Shaw said, “Deep in our heart, we wanted to fully fund education this year, but we knew we had a duty to adhere to the tax cap this year.”

The funding problems were compounded by a drop in federal and state aid, she said. Still, Shaw said, “I think there should have been more pre-planning” for the start of the school year.

The board voted to support Shaw's motion to ask the school administration to provide a report on the problems identified in the first week of school.

Several aldermen echoed some of the concerns raised by parents, including the shortage of desks.

“I don't know anywhere where this happening,” Mayor Gatsas said, referring to the desk shortage. “But I will follow up with the superintendent about this.”

Alderman Joe Kelly Levasseur spoke up for Gatsas, in light of the criticism he faced earlier in the evening. “I know there are very angry people out there, and I understand their frustration, but to call on the mayor to resign, I find that deplorable. I know how hard he works,” he said.

Still, Levasseur called on Gatsas to clarify comments he made to a news outlet indicating that Manchester's experience this year may show other districts that they don't need as many teachers.

Gatsas would only underscore the budgetary challenges facing the city and the school district. “It's going to get worse before it gets better,” he said.

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Ted Siefer may be reached at tsiefer@unionleader.com. Follow him on Twitter: @tbsreporter.