Enrolling in all-day kindergarten and scheduling high school classes will both be complicated next year by recent Duluth school district spending cuts, School Board members were told at Tuesday's meeting in the Central Administration Building.

Additionally, difficult school closure and student relocation decisions must soon be addressed so parents can make attendance plans for the 2002-03 school year, a series of administrative committees reported to the board.

Those are the primary concerns arising from December board decisions to trim $2.6 million in spending next year.

"The $2.6 million is based on the best scenario,'' said superintendent Julio Almanza. Any new cuts in state aid will force the board to further reduce spending, he said.

Elementary school principals suggested five options to address the board's Dec. 18 recommendation to reduce all-day kindergarten staffing by $434,000. The bottom line, said Chester Park Elementary Lab School principal Sharon Rud, is that the program can't be offered at all schools for all who need it.

"An option we're looking at is fee-based kindergarten at the rate of about $200 per month,'' said Eric Kaiser, principal at Homecroft Elementary.

Robert S. Mars Jr. questioned the program's need, saying the added half-day of instruction hasn't raised test scores.

"I respectfully disagree. Recent studies have indicated the bar is rising higher and higher,'' Rud said.

To save $400,000 next year, the board previously suggested the district eliminate one period of the high school day. The new six-period schedule will still allow all students to meet their graduation requirements, said Rex Hein, curriculum director.

But not without some changes. He asked the board to eliminate a half credit of physical education, drop civics as a required course and remove the local requirement for students to complete a career investigations course.

The greatest impact will be felt by students who want to study a language and participate in more than one music program. They might have to schedule one class during the "zero hour,'' before or after school.

"This puts children in a pressure cooker,'' said board member Dorothy Neumann.

Although that's true for students who take elective courses, it won't affect students who take only required classes, Almanza said.

The district also is closer to deciding the fate of Birchwood, Lester Park and Rockridge pupils, but more information is needed before the board will take action.

A survey of Birchwood parents revealed that 85 percent would like the district to retain the school's Core Knowledge curriculum. Just 39 percent, however, indicated a willingness to transport their children to the future Core Knowledge school if it is outside their attendance boundary.

Forty-five percent favored Lowell Music Magnet Elementary School as Birchwood's replacement, with 17 percent listing Piedmont Elementary. Thirty percent did not venture an opinion.

"We currently have more questions than answers,'' said Birchwood principal Stephanie Heilig.

New information about the proposed consolidation of Lester Park and Rockridge fell short of drawing firm conclusions. It revealed Rockridge has a larger site, offers better accessibility to handicapped persons, has more green space and is more efficient to operate. But Lester Park's site, although smaller, has a better location and is easier to reach by bus and car.

Thomas Threinen, principal of both schools, said a decision can't be made until district administrators provide data addressing the cost to expand the surviving school and the potential income from selling the abandoned structure.

Administrators developed a list of factors to evaluate the possible closure of one school in the east-central corridor -- Chester Park, Congdon Park, Grant, Lowell or Nettleton.

"My original recommendation was to study it this year and not make a recommendation until next year,'' Almanza said. Board members, however, want to retain the option to close one building before next fall.