All the public school teachers in Providence, R.I, will soon get pink slips, as the financially troubled state seeks to cut down on expenses.

The Providence school board voted to send termination letters to its nearly 2,000 teachers after city officials claimed the decision would give them "maximum flexibility" to make budget cuts.

The state requires teachers be notified by March 1 if they will laid off for the next school year. City leaders are not sure how many of the educators will lose their jobs.

Some teachers told the school board the move was "insane."

The financial problems in Providence, Rhode Island's largest city, have caused enough alarm that Gov. Lincoln Chafee has instructed two of his top fiscal officers to meet with city officials.