Gov.-elect Jerry Brown warned educational leaders on Tuesday to "fasten your seat belts" when he unveils his proposed budget for next year, saying the plan will include painful cuts in school funding.

"Please sit down when you read the stories on the budget Jan. 10," Brown said during a briefing with education leaders at UCLA. "Don't stand up. Do sit down. If you're in the car, fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a rough ride ...

"This is a really huge challenge, unprecedented in my lifetime. I can't promise you there won't be more cuts because there will be."

While Brown gave no specifics about cuts, both he and state Treasurer Bill Lockyer bandied across-the-board budget cuts of 20 to 25 percent - drawing gasps from some 200 educators, administrators and teacher