CMS: No budget bombshells yet

It was one year ago that Peter Gorman laid out a plan to cut $100 million from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools budget by eliminating 1,500 jobs. On Tuesday interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh kicks off budget planning for 2012-13, but spokeswoman Kasia Thompson says it won't be that kind of detailed outline.

Last year the board had already spent months discussing school closings and other cost-cutting measures.  The unusually early budget proposal came in response to projections that CMS would face a third year of dire cuts  --  or,  the skeptics might say,  in time to mobilize parents and advocates to lobby for more money.  In the end,  CMS avoided the worst of the cuts and layoffs.

This year brings three new board members who have never done a CMS budget,  and Thompson says the plan is to start with a broad-strokes presentation.  Hattabaugh has already said he doesn't expect to lay off teachers,  though there could be some job cuts in other areas.  And he has said he'll unveil a proposal to ask the county for money to give teachers raises.

The 3:30 p.m. meeting at the Government Center is open to the public.