VISTA -- Vista Unified School District trustees approved $8 million in layoffs, cuts to programs and other cost-saving measures at their board meeting Tuesday.

The 40 nonteaching employees to be laid off include several administrators, seven assistant principals, teachers' aides, secretaries and security officers.

The money-saving recommendations were made by a 17-member advisory committee that has met for nearly two months to consider ways to trim the district's roughly $200 million budget.

Trustees rejected a proposal to lay off Greg Sinn, whom they hired last year as the district's first grants administrator.

"It's kind of silly to remove that person if they're bringing in money in excess of their salary," Trustee David Hubbard said.

So far, Sinn said, he has brought in $3 million to pay for preschool classes.

"If you equate my salary with that, it's about a dollar on the nickel return," Sinn said.

Only two weeks ago the district's teachers union celebrated the board's decision to keep more than 100 pink-slipped teachers in the classroom.

Tuesday the district's other union had asked the trustees to do the same for the nonteaching employees whose jobs were on the chopping block.

Henrietta Black, president of the nonteaching employees union, said she understands that there is no easy solution to the district's budget problems, but that she was "deeply upset" that the nonteaching employees were disproportionately going to be affected.

"It certainly appears that cuts are being made on the backs of our dedicated folks," she said. "Our folks like you have bills to pay, mouths to feed and deserve health care."

The cuts are needed because of a grim state budget outlook, officials said. In January, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recommended reducing funding to nearly all public agencies in response to an estimated state budget shortfall of between $16 billion.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, the board again delayed a decision on how to continue building the Mission Vista High Schools campus in eastern Oceanside.

Parents and students will have to wait at least another month to learn how the district will proceed with construction of its long-delayed magnet high school campus.

Trustees are expect to revisit the topic at their next meeting May 15, when they will discuss whether to cancel or reduce the scope of the contract the district has with EDGE construction for work on the 66-acre site near the intersection of Highway 76 and Melrose Drive.

"I really have two objectives here," board Vice President Steve Lilly said. "One is to get the most produce for the money we have available, and the other is to do it within in the timeline to fully open this school as quickly as possible."

The future of the nearly $100 million proposed campus became uncertain last month, when district officials said they didn't have the money to finish the project under the current plans.

District officials presented the board with a variety of options for getting the campus finished. Though the board didn't decide which way to go, they agreed to look at three possibilities:

- walk away from the contract entirely;

- take four buildings out of the contract and ask other companies to bid on the work required for those; or

- work with EDGE to try to reduce the cost of the work. Â

Trustees said they had concerns with each option and wanted another month to gather information and consider the different plans.

The district has enough money to continue with the revised plans, but won't have much extra if any unexpected costs arise, district officials have said.

Over the last several years, the magnet school has faced a barrage of obstacles, including nearly doubling costs, lengthy delays, several lawsuits and contract disputes.

Before the board delayed the decision, three parents asked the trustees to move quickly with the project.

"It's been a ten-year battle to get these schools built," said Chris Day, a district parent. "Just get it done."Â

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.