The Legislature is expected to pass down another $4.3 million in budget cuts to the Issaquah School District next year.

The Lake Washington School District, which has schools in Sammamish, is also facing $5.1 million in cuts.

While Issaquah district administrators cringe at the possibility, there is hope that the schools’ new tax levy will once again save the budget. For the first time next year, it will be able collect that tax all year long, which could result in an extra $3.4 million to the district.

The business staff hasn’t yet calculated the total budget gap, meaning the difference between how much money it needs and how much it’s getting.

The budget gap would also show how much money the superintendent has to cut from the budget.

The Issaquah School Board passed a worst-case scenario budget a few weeks ago, because it’s legally required to send out warn notices to teachers who might lose their jobs. It assumed $2.74 million in cuts, and it sent out warn notices to 36 certified teachers.

“Every year we keep thinking it’s the bottom, and every year it keeps happening again,” said district spokesperson Sara Niegowski.

This week the state Senate and House struck a deal, which is expected to go to the governor’s desk for approval.

In Lake Washington, this budget would cut money that would have gone toward keeping classroom sizes small in kindergarten through fourth grade. Two million dollars for the program was slashed mid-year and the remaining $600,000 would be cut in 2011-12.

“This additional cut further erodes the funding we receive to provide a basic education to our students,” said Lake Washington Deputy Superintendent Janene Fogard.

Lake Washington hasn’t decided how it plans to make the reductions.

Lawmakers also approved a 1.9 percent pay cut to teachers and staff and 3 percent to administrators.

The district is now deciding whether to pass along those pay cuts, reduce services or lay off teachers, Issaquah’s Niegowski said. “I think it’s all kind of a moving target right now.”

In Issaquah, the difference between the lost budget money and the increased levy money is an about $300,000 loss, but this doesn’t account for increased costs and other losses, officials say.

“Any cut, particularly at this point, is going to be devastating,” Niegowski said.