The Museum of Science, in Boston, announced on Tuesday that is has laid off 10 percent of its 400-person staff because of decreased attendance, a possible budget deficit, and a need to restructure its operations, The Boston Globe reports.

Ioannis Miaoulis, the museum’s president, said the board was told in November that the museum might face a possible $3-million deficit but said he decided to wait six months to make the cuts because the museum had not figured out how it should be reorganized.

Mr. Miaoulis told the newspaper that he expects his institution will break even this year, thanks to transfers from reserve funds and unfilled jobs.

“Regardless of the budget, we would have made cuts,” said Mr. Miaoulis. “Entering a recession made us look more in depth and make deeper cuts. But that was not the main driver of the organization. It was strategic.”

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