ATLANTA -- Budget cuts in Fulton County are forcing the school district to do away with field trips.

Some parents told CBS 46 they had no indication that the idea was under consideration. The school district announced the decision to faculty and staff in an e-mail Thursday, but it hasn’t informed most parents.

“How do you feel about this?” CBS 46 reporter Renee Starzyk asked fourth-grader Shaquana Stewart, who is 9.

“Sad,” Stewart responded.

Stewart attends Mount Olive Elementary School in East Point. She's disappointed, but her mom is angry.

"I think it's outrageous,” said Lawanna Stewart. “It helps them learn things they don’t get inside the classroom.”

Friday, the school district issued a statement, which said the district recognizes field trips are an important part of a child's education.

But with transportation costs so high, and massive budget cuts in the works, officials said they had to make a tough choice and cut something.

Officials said sports and band trips are not being cut. They said they will review any special requests on a case-by-case basis.