SCHOOL DAZE

Bruce Springsteen may be the Boss, but his clout does not extend to L.A.'s Center for Early Education, a private nursery and elementary school that caters to the children of such celebrities as Jack Nicholson and Pia Zadora.

Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa were recently turned down when they sought to enroll son Evan James, 2. A factor hurting the Springsteens was that "the center wants parents there," says a source, and officials feared Springsteen's hard-rock lifestyle and tour schedule would "not necessarily make for hands-on parenting."

Comments a source close to Springsteen about the turn-down: "If true, it's the school's loss. Evan is a fantastic child."

JAIL TO THE CHIEF?

Imagine Ross Perot hauled before Judge Wapner. Say what? Well, now that the self-styled people's candidate is back in the presidential hunt, there's the matter of a tab run up by one of his volunteer offices back in June.

According to Robert Hughes of the L.A.-based Ron Smith's Celebrity Look-Alikes, a Perot group in California ordered up human facsimiles of Perot, George Bush and Bill Clinton for a rally it was planning. The Clinton clone was a no-show, but the other two—including Perot imposter Max Feibelman—appeared at the event. Yet, maintains Hughes, the bill ($200 per look-alike) remains outstanding. "At first they didn't return our calls. Then, when Perot dropped out of the race [in July], there was no one left at his Sherman Oaks office to call. Basically, they stiffed us. If Perot still doesn't pay, we'll take him to small-claims court." Talk about an October Surprise...

WARY OF MR. X

Hollywood's make-or-break holiday season begins early this year: Mid-November will pit two new family films, Fox's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Disney's Aladdin, against Warner's Spike Lee bio-flick, Malcolm X. Industry sources tell us some owners of shopping-mall multiplexes may shun Malcolm X, fearing that the film might incite violence that would hurt not only competing movies but overall mall business as well.

A Warner spokesman insists the studio has thus far encountered "no problems booking the movie.'

KING ME

If he had his druthers, Michael Jackson would be known in the media as the King, but the title belongs to the late Elvis Presley. So, before agreeing to appear on the recent MTV Awards show, Jackson performed a public service spot for MTV, in exchange for which, sources say, he was to be introduced on the broadcast in a manner he found suitably regal.

Spokespersons for the singer and the network say there was no quid pro quo. But, for the record, Jackson did the spot and was referred to as the King...of Pop.