Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joe Hairston has presented his proposed operating budget for the 2009-2010 school year.

One of the bigger items in the spending plan: long-sought pay increases for teachers (and all other school employees). Hairston calls for about $23.5 million to restructure employee salaries.  No word yet on what percent increase this would translate into for the individual, but this development should please many in the district.  The decision last year to provide no more than step increases was met with quite a bit of protest - and at last night's meeting, the teachers union again emphasized the need for salary increases.

Overall, Hairston is asking for about $74 million more than the current budget.  At a time when districts throughout the state are trying to figure out what exactly they can fund in these tight times, it will be interesting to see how this public portion of the budget cycle goes. Hairston said last night that the fiscal responsibility that BCPS exercised for the current budget has allowed the system to propose pay raises. But he also indicated that things on the revenue side remain uncertain. The state, for instance, has yet to decide what cuts in local funding might be coming.

Tonight is the public hearing - 7 p.m. at Ridge Ruxton School in Towson. Will keep you posted.

And btw: Carroll County Superintendent Charles Ecker is up next, with his own presentation tonight.