In a major step toward closing its budget shortfall, the San Diego school board last night approved $32 million in budget cuts, including reduced school support programs, special education personnel and a shortened work year for some staff.

Among the cuts were $22 million in expenses at individual campuses that included library and counseling positions and clerks, custodians, nurses, vice principals and supplies.

An additional $7 million was cut by the district from special education, including supplies and staff who coordinate with parents. And $3 million was eliminated by reducing the work year by some days for some secretaries, principals and central office employees.

Even the board members who supported the cuts by the panel's typical 3-2 split on controversial issues said it was a joyless task having to eliminate employees' jobs.

Trustee Frances O'Neill Zimmerman offered perhaps the most scathing criticism of the cuts of library and counseling positions, saying the employees play vital roles in children's education.

"This morning I felt sick about coming here," she said.

The board voted in January to ask principals at its 187 campuses to identify $22 million in cuts to help bridge a potential budget shortfall of $60 million to $84 million in the district's $1.1 billion budget for the coming school year.

On average, an elementary had to cut an estimated $42,000, a middle school about $265,000, and a high school $380,000.

The job cuts identified by the campuses were the equivalent of about 239 positions, officials said.

Like other urban school districts in the state, San Diego Unified has financial problems primarily because of dwindling enrollment, which means less state money, and because of rising cost for employee salaries and medical benefits.

For the first time, the administration delegated the decision on what to cut to school principals and parent and employee advisory groups with the principals ultimately deciding.

Under the approach, teachers will not lose their jobs, and class size will not be increased, schools officials said.

The cuts come from money over which the school district has more discretion, unrestricted money that pays for such things as books, supplies, and some staff, including nurses.

In addition, trustee Katherine Nakamura said the district is counting on ballot propositions 57 and 58 pass in order to bring another estimated $13 million to the budget gap.