The chief budget writer for

the Fayette County school district gave members of the Board of Education

a quick open and shut peek at a working draft of the 2003-2004 spending

plan at a called meeting Thursday afternoon, revealing million dollar

details and a few surprises.

Chief among them: Despite the

dire financial straits the system finds itself in next school year, Superintendent

John DeCotis has vowed to give every district employee, certified and

non-certified, a 1 percent raise.

The move is symbolic of the

fact that "we're in the people business," DeCotis explained.

"And in Fayette County, we take care of our people." The extra

1 percent comes on top of the 2.5 percent the school district is already

having to cough up for each certified employee after the Legislature cut

its share of local teacher salaries by that amount, then turned around

and ordered the individual districts to make up the difference.

DeCotis is also committed to

making sure all teachers who are scheduled to receive their three-year

"step increase" in salary aren't left behind though the state

isn't funding that, either, and hasn't indicated if those teachers would

ever be "caught up" in later years.

As unfair as it sounds, DeCotis

said, a teacher due a jump to the next salary scale this year could be

skipped over and not qualify for another reclassification until 2007.

Paying the raises locally at

least assures that Fayette teachers "won't fall behind" in pay,

DeCotis said. Together, the 1 percent systemwide raise and the "step

increase" raises will cost Fayette County almost $3 million more

in a budget that's lean and getting leaner.

As of Thursday, the proposal

was coming in almost $7 million more than the goal of matching the current

school year budget of about $145 million. But there will be no $7 million

increase in revenue, and in fact a small increase in the county's millage

rate is among the options being considered just to break even with this

year's spending.

Budget talks will continue

through the middle of May.