OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- School district administrators are recommending that the Oceanside Unified School District board of trustees finalize layoff notices for 71 educators on Tuesday, it was reported Monday.

The board is set to hear a proposal that would solidify preliminary layoff notices received by 71 Oceanside educators in March, according to The North County Times.

If the board approves the proposal at its Tuesday meeting, pink slips would be delivered by Thursday, the Times reported.

In March, school officials said they would send preliminary layoff notices to 82 educators in anticipation of sweeping state budget cuts this fall but refined that number to 72. One of those 72 has since resigned, leaving 71, the Times reported.

Oceanside Unified Board President Janet Bledsoe Lacy told the Times that she hopes the district will be able to keep some of the teachers at the last minute if others retire or the state budget situation improves, though it's not looking likely.

"Nothing would be better than if we can rescind those layoffs," she told the newspaper.

Districts throughout the county and the state are laying off teachers as a way to cut money from next school year's operating budget in response to a grim state budget proposal released in January by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The governor is expected to update the proposal next week.

State officials have predicted a budget deficit between $14.5 billion and $20 billion next fiscal year.