EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso ISD trustees delayed a major decision about the district’s financial future after hours of discussion during a special board meeting on Tuesday, postponing action on a proposal that could lead to hundreds of job cuts as the district works to close a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.

Board members chose to hold off on a vote until Thursday night, saying they wanted to give the community another chance to voice concerns before any action is taken. The delay leaves district employees and families waiting to learn what the plan could mean for them.

“We have to figure out what the future of El Paso ISD needs to look like. This is future-proofing,” Board President Leah Hanany said.

District officials have said El Paso ISD is facing a $52.8 million deficit this year, with a projected $42 million shortfall next school year. One option under consideration is a declaration of financial exigency, a rare step that would give the district greater flexibility to make deep budget cuts.

Those cuts could include more than 400 positions across the district — about 250 campus-based jobs and another 160 in central office administration.

Hanany said payroll makes up the vast majority of the district’s budget.

RELATED: El Paso ISD trustees to consider financial exigency, possible staff cuts Tuesday

“This is the highest percentage of the budget that is allocated to payroll. We’re at about 89%, which means we only have 11% that is available for the rest of the operation of the school district. So we simply just don’t have enough cash reserves to continue on this course. There has to be a course correction,” Hanany said.

The waiting has been difficult for employees concerned about whether they will still have a job next year. Norma De La Rosa, president of the El Paso Teachers Association, said the uncertainty is causing stress for many workers.

“Just knowing that their job is possibly on the chopping block, I think a lot of them are very stressed simply because for a lot of them, this is the only work they’ve ever done,” De La Rosa said. “They’re scared, and you can’t blame them, you can’t blame them, especially if this is the only job that they’ve ever known their entire career. It is a scary prospect.”

District leaders also told trustees there is reason for cautious optimism.

Deputy Superintendent and interim Chief Financial Officer David Bates said that if the plan moves forward, the district could recover faster than many expect — potentially as early as October of this year.

“Now I will say this and I’ll say it publicly, we will be better than that, we will right the ship, and in October I plan to come back to this board and ask for your termination of financial exigency. That’s how confident I am in this plan,” Bates said.

Bates also said the projected deficits could shrink depending on what action the board takes this week.

“We said we would end the year with a negative $52 million. Now you’ll see on Thursday we’re going to be better than that. And we’ll start the year negative $42 million and you’ll see on Thursday we’ll be better than that still…but not by much,” Bates said.

The board is set to meet again on Thursday at 5 p.m., when members are expected to make a decision that could shape the district’s financial future.

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