If the El Paso Independent School District declares financial exigency and permits Superintendent Brian Lusk to cut hundreds of jobs in coming weeks, the district can move quickly to restore financial health, the school board was told Tuesday morning.

The board was presented with a plan for extensive cost cuts to prevent a deficit of more than $40 million in the 2026-27 budget after racking up a deficit of more than $50 million this year.

The seven members will vote Thursday night on the plan which would declare a financial exigency for the remainder of this budget year, which ends June 30, and for all of 2026-27.