Pacific Grove Unified School District’s Board of Education voted Thursday to lay off the equivalent of 4.6 full-time teachers at the elementary and middle school level and three mental health therapists. The reductions will save the district around $1.1 million.

The decision comes after the district has been working to reduce a nearly $870,000 deficit in its general unrestricted fund. The board heard three recommendations from Chief Human Resources Officer Buck Roggeman detailing the district’s proposed personnel reductions as well as a recommendation to create tie-breaking criteria when looking to lay off new employees. The board passed each resolution with a 5-0 vote.

“I do want to acknowledge the immense difficulty of making these sorts of decisions that impact the lives of our educators and staff,” said Board President Elliot Hazen. “Layoffs are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they represent real people who have given their time, energy and passion to our students and community … I’m sorry for the tough decisions tonight but thank you to those that we will have to let go.”

A 4.6 full-time equivalent reduction means the district is eliminating four positions as well as the equivalent of .6 full-time positions. A staff member working full-time (40 hours per week) counts as one FTE. The .4 and .2 reductions means the district is cutting those teacher’s hours by 40% and 20%.

The board approved the layoffs of one elementary multi-subject teacher, three K-5 multi-subject teachers, as well as reducing the hours of a FTE middle school math and learning support position by 40% and a FTE middle school math teacher’s hours by 20%.

The four teacher reductions will result in a $589,000 savings for the district.

Roggeman presented the reductions, which were largely similar to proposed cuts made at the Feb. 6 board meeting. The updated plan did not include the originally proposed reduction of a digital learning teacher position.

The district first proposed its plans at the Feb. 6 meeting and presented an updated plan at the Feb. 27 meeting.

“I am so sorry that people have had to live with doubt and uncertainty and I appreciate everyone’s work,” said Mike Wachs, Trustee Area 2.

After questions from the board, Roggeman clarified that these cuts are based on enrollment projections showing fewer students in grades TK-5 for the upcoming school year. He also reassured the board that probationary employees will be put on a 24-month rehire list, with rights to a job if it opens up and permanent employees will be put on a 39-month list.

Along with the elimination of three mental health therapists, Roggeman proposed cutting a .375 FTE instructional assistant position at the elementary level. These cuts would result in savings of $552,885.

The district is aligning resources so three therapists can be rehired the following year and will be funded outside of the general fund, according to Roggeman. He said rehiring these positions is “the intent and plan.”

Trustee Laura Ottmar asked for reassurance that the therapist positions will be filled again, under the same conditions and salary rate. Superintendent Linda Adamson assured the board there will be no changes in salary.

“If it seems like there is a general sense that the students’ needs aren’t being met, I want to make sure that we are ready to pivot with a plan,” said Ottmar. “It’s an essential. It’s food, water and mental health as far as I’m concerned … (students) need to be mentally healthy in order to learn and move through life.”

Roggeman also recommended the board approve tie-breaking criteria, essentially a point system, to determine the order of lay offs among employees who are hired on the same day.

Employees would be allotted “points” based on their credentials, supplementary authorizations and additional degrees. If the tie-breaker ends up tied, then layoffs would be determined by a lottery system, said Roggeman.

All recommendations were passed unanimously and there was no public comment about the two personnel reduction resolutions.