Topeka ? Students will find larger classes, fewer teachers and fewer extracurricular activities next fall, based on budget cuts being considered by Kansas school districts.

A survey by the Kansas State Department of Education shows districts are considering cutting curriculum and services to the core as they face a $187 million cut in state aid next school year.

But this time, schools are also considering reductions that would alter the schedule on which the schools — and families — operate.

The decisions now affect jobs, as salary and benefits are about three-fourths of most districts’ budgets.

“I’ve had more tearful meetings in the last two weeks than I’ve ever had in my entire career,” said Andover superintendent Mark Evans, adding he has begun warning some employees they may not have a full-time position next school year. “I’ve never seen anything that looks like this.”

Wichita, the state’s largest district, estimated it would have to cut 320 full-time positions.

Derby estimates it will have to cut 60 full-time positions and may eliminate elementary art and all-day kindergarten and go to a four-day school week.

“Everything’s on the table, unfortunately — every single thing,” said Craig Wilford, superintendent of Derby schools. “That’s what makes this so difficult.”

Education funding makes up more than half of the state’s budget. Legislators also have tough decisions in balancing the budget with falling tax revenue. Tax revenue in February came in $71 million below expectations, and the state faces a more than $400 million shortfall when the new fiscal year begins July 1.

Wichita is asking parents and staff how important five-day weeks are, and some districts have already decided to shorten the school week or year.

Kansas schools are required to be in session at least 186 days a year, which is above the 180 required in most states, according to a national survey by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The shortened school week is getting more attention from schools because about a dozen Kansas districts have tried it to some degree of success, said Mark Tallman, assistant executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Teachers work on annual contracts, and most districts don’t reduce their salaries when reducing days, Tallman said.

More cost savings would come from paying teachers for fewer days, but that would have to be negotiated with and approved by the teachers unions, he said.

Districts on four-day weeks mostly save in cutting salaries of bus drivers and custodians, and lower transportation costs and utility bills.

“What people have generally found is a number of districts that tried that tend to be small districts,” Tallman said. “As you get into a larger community, it’s more about child care and supervision of kids.”

Last year Wichita officials estimated the savings would be $1.25 million if teachers and school staff were paid one less day. They said energy savings would be about $8,000 per day if all schools were closed.

The Bluestem district in Leon will start four-day school weeks next fall. The change will save about $100,000 a year — less than 2 percent of the district’s total budget — but allowed officials to keep an elementary teaching position and a high school technical education program that would have been axed.

School will last an extra 40 minutes Monday through Thursday. That will result in 70 fewer classroom hours next school year, but the district will meet the state requirement of 1,116 hours.

The new schedule “still is a concern for a few parents,” especially those who will need child care when school is out, said Randy Rivers, Bluestem superintendent.

Many districts in the state survey said they are looking at increasing class sizes, especially in elementary schools.

The biggest savings in bigger class sizes is eliminating teaching positions.

School administrators don’t need approval of the union to lay off teachers, but the district and union leaders would have to ask teachers to vote for a pay cut.

Many teachers at districts in the Wichita area have already agreed to a pay freeze this school year.

“Teachers have already given up pay increases,” said Larry Landwehr, president of the union United Teachers of Wichita. “They believe they’re doing their part.”

Statewide, teacher salary and benefit packages this year increased by 1.1 percent, compared with an increase of 4 percent the two previous school years, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards.

Families in some suburban districts have long enjoyed a ride to school on the district’s dime. Not anymore.

The state pays only for students living 2.5 miles or more from a school to ride the bus.

Several high schools in the area operate on block scheduling, which generally means students have four longer class periods each day versus seven shorter ones.

Block scheduling is usually more expensive than shorter periods because it requires more teachers.

A legislative audit of the Derby school district in December suggested the high school could save $600,000 over five years if it reduced overtime by going to a traditional class schedule instead of its current blocks.