SALEM - Nearly 80 employees who have been laid off from the Salem Public Schools are scheduled to work their last shift in 10 days.

Roughly 50 aides, clerical staff and nonunion employees were slated to be given their notice yesterday, Superintendent William Cameron said earlier this week. On Friday, 29 classroom teachers were laid off, as well as some school custodian.

Yesterday marked what Cameron said is the final round of cuts in budget reductions that began more than a month ago, aimed at closing a middle-of-the-year $4.7 million school deficit.

"I have nine classrooms that this affects," said Thomas LaValley, principal of Bates Elementary School, which is losing three classroom teachers.

As a result of the cuts, three classrooms will be eliminated at Bates School and those students will be merged mid-school-year into six other classrooms, resulting in increased class sizes of as many as 24 to 25 students - up from an average of 18 to 19 per class, LaValley said.

The superintendent hasn't publicly released a final list of cuts, and administrators have emphasized that the picture is not finalized yet. Some employees' hours have been reduced, while others will be "bumped" - moved to different positions in the school district - assuming they choose to accept their new assignments.

Many principals still don't know if other employees will be bumped into their schools, or who they will be.

After giving layoff notices on Friday and yesterday (since Monday was a snow day), the city's principals are now tied up creating new class lists and making new schedules to incorporate the changes.

It is expected that parents will receive letters from their schools this afternoon outlining the changes in each building.

The school administration carried out $1.2 million in job cuts, on top of millions of dollars in other reductions - with help from the City Council - to close the $4.7 million gap. Other measures included renegotiating service contracts, turning down heat in all the school buildings, and freezing the accounts for some supplies, library materials and other nonsalary items.

Mayor Kim Driscoll, who is chairwoman of the School Committee, and other school officials have blamed the budget crisis largely on former school business manager Bruce Guy. They say he shifted money from this year's budget to pay last year's bills and underbudgeted many accounts for the current school year, especially in special education. Guy has not returned many phone calls seeking comment.

Driscoll has said she believes the acts were intentional and said the city intends to bring criminal charges against Guy.