(RALEIGH) -- Thousands of teachers across the state may lose their jobs this year to budget cuts.  The North Carolina Association of Educators says there is a solution to prevent the impact on education.

Brian Lewis with the North Carolina Association of Educators said many of those jobs could be saved by closing corporate tax loopholes.  "The Target or the Wal-Mart that's in your community, they pay zero percent corporate taxes, but your homegrown North Carolina businesses that are owned by hard working North Carolinians, they pay a corporate tax," said Lewis.

Lewis said his organization has compiled a lengthy list of tax loopholes that could be closed, taxes that could be made more equitable and taxes that could be implemented to save billions and produce greater revenue. Lewis said services and some non-essential items could be taxed, like soft drinks or beer. He added that the N-C-A-E is pushing lawmakers to consider tax code changes before teacher cuts.

(Thanks to: WWNC)