BUFFALO, N.Y. — State Supreme Court Judge Diane Devlin upheld a temporary restraining order Thursday in the ongoing City Honors dispute between the Buffalo Public School District and the Buffalo Teachers Federation. The order, which the union had issued earlier this month, prevents the district from removing a handful of teachers mid-year. The teachers were supposed to be let go last month, after the district hired 16 aides to perform supervisory duties City Honors teachers don't have to do.

District leaders say the cuts are needed to balance the building's budget, as the district is now funding the aides. The judge strongly urged both sides to resolve the issue on their own or expedite the matter through a mediator prior to her decision on May 1.

"We certainly empathize with the parents and don't want to have cut teachers. We will continue to offer to sit down with the Buffalo Teachers Federation. That offer has been made numerous times over the past month and they have been rejected," said Nate Kuzma, Buffalo City School District General Counsel.

"That's not true. We haven't heard anything from the district. And we're going to do exactly what the judge said. This can be done within two or three weeks," said Phil Rumore, Buffalo Teachers Federation president.

She gave both sides until April 6 to agree on an arbitrator.