SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  Public school employees throughout California are being warned of extensive job cuts as local officials face a deadline for issuing layoff notices to educators.

The State Department of Education estimates that preliminary notices will be given to 26,500 teachers by the Sunday cutoff. An additional 15,000 bus drivers, janitors, secretaries and administrators are also expected to receive the written warnings.

Because of the bleak economic outlook, the state has ordered local school districts to absorb more than $8 billion in cuts over the next year. Many, if not most, of the early layoff notices could be withdrawn by June, officials said.