Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston faced a barrage of questions yesterday from a County Council skeptical of his request for a $398,725 study of school system operations.
In his first formal appearance before the council since assuming the post in July, Hairston was peppered with questions about why the efficiency study was needed, whether it could be performed with existing staff and the amount of savings expected.
"What is your goal?" asked Councilman Vincent J. Gardina, a Perry Hall Democrat. "This is a lot of money when we have qualified people in the system" who could perform a similar analysis.
Hairston said consultant recommendations could yield about $2 million in savings, which would more than cover the expense.
Council Chairman Joseph Bartenfelder, a Fullerton Democrat, suggested delaying the review for a year, because its recommendations won't be ready when the school system submits its budget in March. But Hairston said that because a final budget vote isn't until June, he wants to proceed.
Hairston is asking the county to tap into a $44 million surplus for the study. The school board has awarded a contract for the study to MGT of America of Florida.
After yesterday's council work session, Councilman Wayne M. Skinner, a Towson Republican, said "I don't know if there is a real need for this [efficiency] study." A final vote is expected Monday.
Hairston said he was not troubled by the queries. "If we can't defend our position, they shouldn't have confidence in us," he said.
Sun staff writer Lynn Anderson contributed to this article.
