Baltimore County Schools are $38 million short of what they need to give teachers the pay raises they were promised next year.

At a budget hearing before the County Council Thursday, School Superintendent Myriam Rogers called it “not probable” that they will come up with the money.

Rogers said her staff is looking for savings in the budget that can be shifted to salaries.

“We are slowly but surely finding additional reductions in additional areas, not impacting the school house,” Rogers said.

She admitted it likely will not be enough.

Republican Councilman Wade Kach said, “It’s not a good situation where you have agreed to a contract and find a situation where it can't be funded.”

In a February interview with WYPR, County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said she was grappling with a difficult budget year, so there was no way the school system was going to get the almost 11 percent increase in spending it was asking for.

“I go way back with the school system and we just have to say no,” Klausmeier said.

Klausmeier presented her proposed budget in April and gave the county schools a 3.5% increase.

The county council does not have the power to increase school spending in Klausmeier’s budget. The council is scheduled to approve the spending plan next week and it will take effect July 1.

TABCO, the teachers union, has been pushing for the raises to be fully funded.

“This was agreed to,” TABCO president Cindy Sexton said in an interview. “Everybody knew it was coming and we need to have our promise kept for our educators so we can be there for our students.”

Rogers said contract negotiations will begin with the union once the county budget is passed.