"I think this is terrible timing," board member Michael Schaden said. "The ink isn't dry on our budget yet, we're taking a beating on paying administrators too much and now we want to tell people we want to pay our administrators more?"

The Singer Group study shows Frederick County Public Schools salaries for administrative and supervisory positions lag behind those of four neighboring counties.

The study recommends the addition of two new pay grades in addition to the three current ones and recommends lopping off the first several steps so starting salaries would be more in line with those of Washington, Montgomery, Howard and Carroll counties.

The study was carried out according to negotiated terms of a three-year agreement reached by the Frederick County Administrative and Supervisory Association and the school board in 2006, according to Kevin Cuppett, Green Valley Elementary School principal.

School board members heard a presentation of the study's findings from committee members at Wednesday afternoon's planning session, but didn't act on any of the recommendations.

The Singer Group carries out similar studies for school and library systems and other similar entities. If adopted by the board, the study's authors state that implementation would cost about $100,000, based on 16 employees who would be bumped up on the pay scale because they are at steps that would be eliminated.

Superintendent Linda Burgee asked for clarification about that amount, which would not include any so-called equity moves. If a new teacher were to suddenly be moved to the seventh step, because the first six steps were eliminated, for example, that teacher would be paid the same salary as a more experienced educator.

The estimate also does not include the cost of moving administrators to new pay grades. For example, elementary and middle school assistant principals paid on the AS-1 scale, referred to as a "lane," would move to AS-2. Elementary and middle school principals at AS-2 would move to AS-4. High school principals would move from AS-3 to AS-5.

While those changes would result in significant increases in starting pay, Burgee pointed out that few employees are hired at starting steps. But the new scales would result in raises for all staff members who move to higher lanes.

"We require experience for these positions," Burgee said. "The only way someone would be hired at the first step would be if they were fresh out of college, and people fresh out of college aren't being hired for these positions."

For example, a 20-year teacher paid $85,000 who gets promoted to assistant principal isn't then going to be paid $65,000, the beginning of the assistant principal pay scale.

"Our unit is aware of the current economic environment," Cuppett told the school board. "This was something negotiated in our 2006-09 contract. We're not coming to you for more money."

Burgee told board members they have time to read through the information; there is no pressing deadline to act on the study.

At Wednesday night's regular board meeting, school system staff discussed plans for federal stimulus money that will be available over the next two years, with restrictions.

The school system will receive $8.4 million for special education and $2.1 million to be used for Title I schools and programs.

Schools staff members emphasized they want the short-term money to have long-term impact on the system. Money will be used to buy classroom resources that can be used for many years, as well as pay for staff professional development. The training will enable educators to better serve their students over the course of their careers, officials said.

The funds will allow the school system to provide Title I services to five new elementary schools (Hillcrest, Waverley and Lincoln elementary schools currently receive Title I funding), and additional special-education support to students in seven middle schools.

The challenge comes in making sure that no programs come to a halt when the funding stops. Officials intend to buy equipment, instructional materials and other items that will remain long after the money is gone.

The school system will receive the money in two phases and will have until July 2011 to spend it, according to Burgee.