The mood was grim when about 40 teachers and NSW Teachers Federation members came to discuss the state of Murrumbidgee Regional High School.
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One teacher said she was in a constant state of "distress" and was on the verge of cracking under the pressure due to a lack of teachers.
Another described how some students would walk out of unsupervised classrooms and wander around aimlessly on the front lawn, while others left the school grounds entirely.
Many teachers said the students' behaviour had gotten worse, with not enough teachers to crack down on problems such as bullying.
One teacher told The Area News that on a typical day there would be about four classes left without a teacher.
With the only school principal currently on holiday, teachers say they've been at their wits' end trying to manage both the Griffith and Wade sites.
One teacher said they could hardly stand it, saying they wanted to leave Griffith the moment their placement term ended.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton said she was "absolutely horrified", but not in the least surprised by what she had heard at the meeting.
"They were all very distressed and under a lot of pressure," Mrs Dalton said.
As a former teacher Mrs Dalton said she knew there'd long been a problem with a shortage of teachers, but that the problem was "exacerbated" by the uncertainty surrounding the school merger.
She said the teachers were doing "an awesome job given the extreme circumstances," but needed urgent help.
Mrs Dalton said she'd be demanding the government to provide financial incentives to attract and retain Griffith teachers.
It makes a big difference; she's spoken to Griffith residents who choose not teach in Griffith schools, opting instead to commute all the way to Leeton where they do offer incentives.
Another item on her wish list is getting one principal for each of the Griffith and Wade sites.
These are some of the demands she'll be putting to NSW education minister Sarah Mitchell when they meet in June.
"All our kids' futures depend on this," Mrs Dalton said.
"We need to do this for the sake of our kids, our parents, our teachers."