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School system critics and staff clashed over education funding at the Frederick County commissioners' annual budget hearing on Tuesday.

Dozens of principals, central office administrators, support staff and teachers spoke at the hearing, and defended the school system's $503 million budget by stressing the value education in Frederick County and urging commissioners to be more supportive.

But there were also about half a dozen critics who questioned the school system's spending — specifically on a new central office building and administrators' salaries.

In tough budget times, the school system should not be giving the superintendent benefits for life and having discussions on spending thousands of dollars on artificial turf fields, said Ron Terpko, a commissioner from the Town of Thurmont.

"Everybody knows it's a difficult year," he said. "If the money is all going to classrooms and teachers, I would be all for it. But the problem [is] … that we are not budgeting to the right people."

The hearing aimed to help the Frederick Board of County Commissioners decide how to balance its proposed $444 million budget for fiscal 2010.

Commissioners have been working on their budget for months, and have managed to reduce their initial $58 million deficit to $2.2 million by making cuts in "virtually all departments," according to Commissioners' President Jan H. Gardner (D).

About 51 percent ($229 million) of the proposed budget is designated for Frederick County Public Schools, or $8.7 million less than in fiscal 2009.

That amount includes "maintenance of effort" funding — the minimum funding that the county is required by state law to provide.

Earlier this year, commissioners tried to reduce that amount by $9 million by asking the Maryland State Board of Education for a waiver from the maintenance of effort requirement.

School officials unsuccessfully tried to work with commissioners to find another way to give the county back money, but they also kept reducing the amount.

So after days of heated discussions with school officials, commissioners dropped their waiver request .and instead cut out their $7.2 million contribution to school system's retiree health benefits.

The school system now faces a $7 million deficit in its $503 million proposed budget for fiscal 2010. The $7.2 million for retiree benefits are an addition to that, though the school board is not required to pay it this year.

At the hearing, school staff defended the education budget, and some asked the commissioners to use the county's "rainy day" fund (a $21 million fund set aside for emergencies) to support schools. Administrators, special education staff and school psychologists described at length their job duties and explained why they are essential.

Schools Superintendent Linda Burgee told commissioners they are complaining about how much they spend on education, but failing to acknowledge that Frederick County Public Schools is a first-class system that is "worthwhile investment."

"We will continue to give our best to the school system with or without your support," she said. "But it's certainly nice to know we have it."

Peggy Ballew, an assistant at the school system's communications office, said this year's budget process has brought up negative attitudes toward county educators. "I really resent the local impression that without FCPS there would be no deficit," she said. "It's gotten to the point when I am almost afraid to tell people where I work. … I am tired of having to defend my salary."

According to FCPS records, Ballew makes about $45,000 a year, but she told commissioners that she could make at least $20,000 more as a federal employee. "I looked it up recently," she said. "FCPS salaries are not outrageous."

But critics said the school system cannot continue operating the way it has because the economy is in shambles, and people everywhere are taking cuts.

"People are hurting out there," Blaine Young of Monrovia, a radio talk-show host and columnist for The Gazette, told commissioners. "It's hard to have sympathy when you have over 200 people making more than $100,000 a year. Sometimes in tough times, you've got to suck it up."

E-mail Margarita Raycheva at mraycheva@gazette.net.

Commissioners will hold a second hearing on the budget, excluding education funding, at 7 p.m. Thursday at Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church St., Frederick.

Anyone who would like to speak can sign up before the hearing.