A disabled Bridgeport high school teacher says state and federal budget cuts won't force him to leave his job.

Tom Wade says that because of the support of his community, state officials informed him he will not be cut from the Medicaid for the Employed Disabled program, which pays an assistant to help him get ready for work.

As News 12 reported, the 61-year-old social studies teacher who has worked at Central High School for almost 30 years says he is totally dependent on others for many things and without that few hours of help a day, he would have had to quit his job.

Students who saw the News 12 report sent a petition to state lawmakers with more than 600 signatures, demanding they change their decision.