(WSBT) With childhood obesity becoming a growing concern, exercise is more important than ever. But students in the Benton Harbor School District now have one less opportunity to get the exercise they need.

The Benton Harbor School District has been forced to make many cuts this year because of budget constraints. Many of those cuts have come at the administrative level.

But for the very first time, they've had to eliminate a specific class. This one is part physical education — a decision the district says wasn't easy.

"It's always hard to cut programs,” said Assistant Superintendent Virginia Maxwell. “It affects kids.”

That makes it even tougher for school officials to cut the health and wellness classes at all eight elementary schools in the district.

"We do not have any money to pay for those teachers,” Maxwell said.

The classes were two-fold — part health class and part physical activity.

For parent and school teacher Amy Fernung, taking classes like that away concerns her.

"If the kids are not active, it hinders their learning because they can't concentrate when they have to sit down and be still because they need to get up and move and things like that,” she said.

"I think it's sad for the kids because it's not their fault,” another parent told WSBT News.

Less opportunities doesn't necessarily mean no opportunities. The district says students can still get exercise on the playground during recess and through special programs. But the question remains: Is this enough to keep our kids healthy?

"Now I'm not going to say they're getting enough because we only have control of the school day,” Maxwell said. “We do not have control of the hours after school."

The district tries to make cuts that won't have an impact on academics. But Fernung says that's exactly what will happen by eliminating classes like health and wellness.

"When they cut the arts and even the physical education, it ends up negatively affecting the reading and the math so it will just backfire,” Fernung said.

The school district has never had gym classes at the elementary level. It starts in middle school.

The superintendent hopes they'll have enough money next year to bring back those health and wellness classes.

In the meantime, the district is offering many programs including one that hopes to teach all third graders how to swim.