Howard County families protesting major cuts to schools are calling to "save our teachers."Corinne Happel, a mother of five, has led an effort to save teachers' jobs and she helped to organize a rally Thursday in Ellicott City."We are asking the Board of Education to work with the county executive to find additional funding so that teachers and staff do not get cut. Currently, the budget actually has a lot of cuts written in. So, even if Calvin Ball gives 100% of what was asked for, there are major teacher and staff cuts across the board," Happel told 11 News.The current school budget proposal for 2025 calls for reductions of middle and high school teachers that will impact course selections, and most elementary schoolers will lose music and gifted-and-talented teachers, among other cuts."I like how it challenges my brain and makes me think in different ways, so I can use that when I need to in everyday life," fourth-grade student Brynn Grant said about gifted-and-talented courses.The Board of Education is holding onto hope that it will be able to restore some positions and move teachers whose positions are cut to another subject or school. Only time will tell."We want people to be prepared for if they have to make a life change and search for a new job. We've given them the opportunity to do that with as much grace and dignity as we can muster because we know this is about people's families -- not just these families, but teacher's families," Howard County Public Schools Board of Education Chairwoman Jennifer Swickard Mallo told 11 News.Anthony Debella, a parent and data analyst, has been crunching the numbers. He believes the money needed to fully fund Howard County Public Schools is available."What we are calling on the county executive to do is take that funding that has historically been dedicated to Howard County Public Schools, and give it back to the schools. We shouldn't be talking about cutting around the margins of the programs that really distinguish Howard County Schools from other public school systems," Debella said.Howard County Executive Calvin Ball is expected to submit his proposed budget to the County Council on Monday. The final budget will be determined in late May or early June.Video below: Families protest cuts to teachers, school programs