Encouraging news continues to filter down from the Gold Dome as Fayette County schools wait for word on how much revenue the state is likely to contribute to the operation of local schools in the next year.

Gov. Sonny Perdue convinced the House of Representatives Wednesday to OK a modified version of his school spending plan, which delays a required reduction in classroom sizes another year and returns more flexibility for spending state education funds to local districts.

Both points were at the top of the list of requests put forth by the Fayette County Board of Education and Superintendent John DeCotis when they met with members of the county's legislative delegation over breakfast in late February.

Additionally, Stephens said, a House committee recommended that Perdue's mandatory teacher pay raises of 2 percent start midyear, in January, which will also relieve local outlays considerably. The salaries of about 250 Fayette teachers, employed beyond state requirements, are paid fully by local taxpayers.

"If we move all our pay raises to that same schedule, we will be in much better shape," Stephens said.

A 1 percent raise authorized last summer but given out by the school board to employees starting in January this year had a similar benefit.

Still, Fayette's proposed 2004-05 operations budget will likely be $7 to $9 million more than the current $148 million plan, not counting additional cuts in funding from the state that will have to be replaced locally.

"At this stage, we're just crunching our numbers and waiting for the state to finalize their budget," Stephens said Monday night, adding that the district is actually ahead by several weeks in the process. The board signed off the midyear adjusted budget back in December. It's usually not dealt with until February.

The workshop scheduled to discuss the pending budget is April 6, but that might be moved to avoid a conflict with spring break.

The board must approve a budget by mid-June. The fiscal year starts July 1.