Nobody can say it came as a surprise.
Edcouch Elsa Independent School District officials told Action 4 News that layoffs were inevitable.
The decision comes after a state conservator had warned the district in November that the district was approximately $10.5 million dollars in the hole and recommended a 20 percent cutback in staff.
EEISD Superintendent Michael Sandroussi said the district started "phase one" of the layoffs on Tuesday.
On the chopping block are 199 at-will employees including security, custodial, teacher aides and maintenance workers.
Concerns were brought up by the board at the start of the meeting about how since budget cutbacks were recommended in November.
The district had still used millions, even averaging more than $150,000 dollars a day in December alone.
Board members expressed their disappointment in the numbers and how this went on even with people's livelihoods on the line.
The money spent was apparently already owed in contracts and couldn't be saved nor could the 199 jobs.
Terminated employees will be notified in the next few days with their last day of work expected to be on Friday.
More cuts are expected to come in January during "Phase Two" of the district's action plan.
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