The gaggle of second graders clutched handwritten signs as they arrived to address the talk of the town.

It was after bed time, and the Montclair 7- and 8-year olds were nervous. Together, they stood before a packed school board meeting to try to save their beloved teacher’s aide from a stunning budget crisis threatening up to 150 jobs.

Linda Ceneri, a Nishuane Elementary School aide, is great at cheering up students when they’re down, a girl named Zuri told the school board. If she loses her job, “I’ll be really sad,” Zuri’s classmate Asher said.

“I have lots of food allergies and anxiety,” added Shane, another second grader speaking in a soft, squeaky voice. “Ms. Ceneri makes me feel safe.”

Shane’s family moved to Montclair “for a better life,” he told district leaders last month. In

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