School System Under Fire from County Legislators

State legislators from Baltimore County are expressing concern over the salary of a newly hired deputy schools superintendent and how the school system handled related media requests about her compensation.

The issue is also scheduled to be on the agenda Saturday when Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston and the Baltimore County Board of Education meet during a scheduled retreat.

In a letter to Hairston released late Friday, Sen. Kathy Klausmeier and Del. John Olszewski Jr. expressed "disappointment and disapproval over the way your office has handled the hiring of Ms. Renee Foose and the release of information surrounding her hiring."

The letter, written on behalf of both the county's state legislative delegations, criticizes the school system for hiring Foose at a salary the legislators called "appalling to most Baltimore County residents."

The Baltimore Sun and Patch both requested Foose's salary. The school system has not released the figure to Patch.

The Baltimore Sun reported today that Foose will be paid $214,000, more than a number of  deputy superintendents in other Maryland jurisdictions.

In their letter, Klausmeier and Olszewski, who also works for the school system, note the salary comes at a time when the economy is faltering and the school system has announced it will eliminate nearly 200 positions through attrition in the coming budget year.

"Leaving 200 positions vacant will no doubt mean larger class sizes, and it may also mean that many important and valuable educational programs will either be understaffed or non-existent," the letter reads.

Both delegations also criticized the school system's handling of a Patch request for Foose's salary information.

In a post on Insider Politics Wednesday, schools spokeswoman Phyllis Reese , which is public information by state law, saying a written request must be filed.

Patch has refused.

"The use of phrases like 'We're not like everyone else' and, in particular 'it will be a cold day in hell before you get the information' shows and unacceptable attitude towards the taxpayers of our county and state," the letter reads. "As a taxpayer funded agency, Baltimore County Public Schools has a responsibility to the people to respond  to requests for information in a timely, useful, and respectful manner. This most recent episode suggests this is not the case. We find this deeply concerning, to say the least."

The letter goes on to request that Hairston provide an explanation about the salary and the issues related to public information requests.

Hairston will likely face some of these questions tomorrow during the retreat with the school board.

Board member Larry Schmidt confirmed he had written an e-mail to school administrators and fellow board members.

The e-mail expressed concern over the handling of public information requests by the media and in particular mentioned the Insider Politics story.

Schmidt would not speak about the details of the e-mail nor release a copy of it.