Pacific Grove USD unveils revised deficit plan, preserves three mental‑health therapist posts for one year

Pacific Grove Unified School District Superintendent Adamson on Feb. 27 presented a revised plan to address the district’s $868,148 unrestricted general‑fund deficit for 2024–25, proposing a mix of staff reductions, temporary spending freezes and reallocated one‑time funds while keeping three district‑employed mental‑health therapists in place for one year.

The plan, which Adamson said reflects community and board feedback gathered since the district’s Feb. 6 proposal, reduces teaching positions from a previously proposed six full‑time‑equivalents (FTEs) to four FTEs, keeps the district’s Spanish and digital‑learning programs, and limits elementary instructional‑assistant cuts to 0.375 FTE by not filling an existing vacancy. Chief Brogeman said the district will fund a third mental‑health therapist for one year by using remaining music‑and‑arts discretionary grant dollars and savings from replacing an outside contract for special‑education mental‑health services. "We do still have funding that is sufficient for 1 year when the fund runs out to fund that third mental health professional," Brogeman said.

Why it matters: Pacific Grove is a basic‑aid district that receives roughly 82% of its revenue from local property taxes and therefore cannot increase per‑pupil state funding by adding nonresident students. Adamson and staff told the board they are focusing reductions on the unrestricted fund (the flexible part of the budget) because restricted categorical funds (special education, federal grants, etc.) cannot be reallocated.

Key elements of the…