SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) -- Santa Rosa City Schools cut 100 positions on Wednesday to make up a multi-million-dollar budget deficit. San Francisco teachers strike ends with tentative agreement reached The cuts avoid teachers but hit multiple departments — most notably, schools in the mental healt h department. “It was a painful decision to make, and it will have a real impact over the next few years,” said Santa Rosa Schools Chief Public Information Officer Patrick Gammon. ”We’re working with community partners to try to find solutions to fill those to fill those gaps, because it definitely filled a need. Those were incredibly valuable staff.” The reason? Gammon says low enrollment. A decline of 400 students in the last year alone — the size of a middle school — has made years of tough financial straits turn dire. In the first wave of cuts, nine upper management positions were eliminated, freeing up $1.9 million dollars. But it wasn’t enough for the $15 million hole. Four schools were also closed last year. Another two, Hilliard Comstock Middle School and Steele Lane Elementary School, will close and consolidate with other schools in June, making up the roughly $14 million left to avoid state oversight. Stabilizing finances but upsetting the community in the process. “We definitely hear the parents' concerns. We want them to know that we are with you. And a lot of the teachers and staff will continue to be will continue to show up for you to make sure that students receive academic support,” said Gammon. This doesn’t mean Santa Rosa schools are completely out of the woods. Even with these dramatic changes, there isn’t a rainy-day fund left to help should problems persist. Yet Gammon is cautiously optimistic. “There’s still work to be done. But we are in a place where our community has can regain control of how our how our funds are spent to go towards our students,” said Gammon. ...read more read less