IRVINE

First, Irvine’s school district came close to laying off 120 teachers. Next, the Irvine Co., the Donald Bren Foundation and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation pledged $3.9 million to save those jobs. Then, a multibillion-dollar state surplus brought nearly $7 million in additional funds to the district.

In reaction to the unexpected state money the district is expected to receive next year, the organizations donating the $3.9 million decided to reduce their gifts to $2.2 million. The rest of the money will be used for long-term plans to secure funding for the district’s enrichment science and art programs, donors said.

For the last year, school officials have explained to the community that the district had maneuvered itself into a budget hole because trustees opted to keep their renowned arts, music and science programs.

By banking some of the bailout money this year, Carolyn McInerney, the president of the schools foundation, said those programs could be insulated from the vagaries of state decisions.