Duluth school district support staff take the biggest financial hit in a budget reduction proposal for next year presented to the School Board by administrators Tuesday night.

To solve a $3.3 million shortfall, a list about $530,000 shy of that goal was offered to the board for final approval in June. Nearly $1.5 million in cuts fall under administrative and support staff, with the elimination of instructional coaches and the newly created innovation specialist position, and a reduction in social work hours as well as those of the climate coordinator, who deals with student behavior.

Such decisions can be emotional, Superintendent Bill Gronseth said, but the plan was shaped with the district's and community's biggest goals in mind, which center on improving student achievement. The district is struggling to improve graduation rates and to narrow persistent achievement gaps between several groups of students.

"We will talk about a lot of things tonight that are near and dear to a lot of people; people's passions, careers and livelihoods, and we understand that." Gronseth said, noting those who hold jobs up for discussion have been notified.

The Duluth district was blessed with a budget surplus in recent years, but expenses have increased and declining enrollment has meant less money from the state. While class size will be still be maintained to the level the operating levy allows, there won't be further reductions.

Proposed cuts include:

Fewer zero-hour options, limiting choices only to the elite music classes offered during that time to save $76,800

The elimination of two mental health workers for special education to save $100,000, because the district no longer has emotional or behavioral disorder programs for high-needs students. Students with such disorders still would be served

Eliminating two maintenance positions for more than $100,000 in savings

A $73,000 reduction to the activities budget, including transportation and hotel cuts, along with a reduction in the number of clubs at the high schools

Nearly $1 million in administrative expenses not directly related to jobs, including a $250,000 savings in the unemployment budget, which hasn't been as necessary with fewer layoffs

The elimination of the four instructional coaches for $384,000 in savings, and the three innovation specialist positions for $200,000. Innovation specialists were tasked with incorporating technology into classrooms in new ways. A coordinator in that area remains.

The district would also find another way to supervise the high school's closed lunch periods, and would eliminate paraprofessional time doing so, to save $100,000

Investments that the district would like to make include $105,000 to restructure professional learning community time for teachers at the elementary school level, which would increase the time allowed for music, art, the media center and physical education.

Several people holding jobs up for elimination or reduced hours would end up elsewhere in the district, and retirements would save others. Some of the savings came through a shifting of funding sources and reorganization.

Several board members said they were concerned about meeting mental health needs with reductions set in that area, and suggested reaching out further to community partners.

Annie Harala suggested hiring a grant writer to help.

"These positions pay for themselves in the long run," she said, expressing frustration with cutting. "We do less with less."

Alanna Oswald questioned the cutting of zero-hour time, noting that the voluntary before-school class period put in place after the seven-period day was cut allows kids to "maximize education" by taking a health class, for example, and saves a period during the regular day for something else.

The district isn't reimbursed by the state for that time of the day, and it can lead to students attending less than full time in later years, Gronseth said.

The proposal illustrates that 78 cents out of the dollar for the $85 million general fund would be spent on supporting students.

Board members will be asked to vote on these preliminary reductions this month.