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The University of Maryland, College Park, hopes College Park can fund the remaining $20,000 to help pay for a full-time coordinator for its partnership with Paint Branch Elementary.

UM, Paint Branch and the city have been working on the partnership since the summer. It is expected to include collaboration between Paint Branch and UM on projects such as teacher education and field trips, tutoring programs and extracurricular programs. Because the partnership, which has not yet begun, is going to span all the schools at UM, not one particular department, Gloria Aparicio-Blackwell, assistant to the vice president for administrative affairs, said UM would like someone to oversee all aspects of it.

"We're trying to get the funding from the city, the school system and the university, so it's based on all three of us," she said. "It would be great to alleviate some of the functions. The person would do research and coordinate the parties involved."

UM received a $30,000 grant through its College of Education in 2007 to pay for the staff member, but Aparicio-Blackwell said the salary would be closer to $50,000 per year.

Paint Branch Principal Jay Teston said the final details and schedule of activities and events for the partnership will be announced before the winter break.

Councilman Robert Catlin (Dist. 2), who is on the Partnership Advisory Board, is skeptical that the City Council will agree to pay $20,000 for something that only benefits one school.

"They want us to financially support some things and that's problematic," Catlin said "If there's not support on the council for the money they think they need, I'm not sure how it's going to affect the whole plan."

Aparicio-Blackwell said the coordinator is not a deal-breaker, but would make the partnership run smoother.

Teston said the partnership would benefit from a full-time coordinator.

"I see the position acting as the facilitator, recorder and assessor of the project," he said.

Catlin said that if the staff person was to start after Jan. 1, the $30,000 grant would be enough to pay for the salary since the fiscal year ends in July.

Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich (Dist. 3) stopped short of throwing her support behind paying the $20,000, but said it may be worth the cost.

"Quite frankly, people with children are reluctant to move here," she said. "The Paint Branch area is not considered a desirable location. It's not just about helping the university, it's about helping ourselves. Usually, improving things costs money."

Stullich said the partnership may help raise home ownership in the neighborhood.

Should a coordinator be hired, the partnership committee would have to also determine whether the coordinator would be a city employee or a UM employee.

City Manager Joe Nagro said the council and city staff will spend the next few weeks determining how extensive the coordinator's duties would be. He said he does not expect the city to have a decision before the holiday break, which is from Dec. 22 to Jan. 5.

E-mail Jonah Schuman at jschuman@gazette.net.