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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools would like $215,000 from the county to hire two multimedia specialists and get the technology to "be an advocate for our message."

LaTarzja Henry, head of communications for CMS, told the school board this afternoon that CMS families and the public want more webstreaming, videos and digital communication. She said providing better, faster information will help the district win trust.

"We do not want to find ourselves dependent on external media to tell our story," she said.

The $215,000 proposal includes $180,000 for two multimedia specialists and $35,000 for licensing and technology.

The board is not yet voting on 2012-13 budget proposals being presented by interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh and his staff. Board member Eric Davis asked Henry what the long-term vision for CMS communication is.

She said she wants to be able to deliver "customized communication" for CMS departments and have staff covering news, shooting videos, producing web content and analyzing what people are saying about CMS.

"What that translates to is purely more people," Henry said. "We absolutely owe it to this community to give them access to events as they happen."

The communications department now has a staff of 11 -- down from a high of 27, Henry said -- and a budget of roughly $1 million, including almost $400,000 for the ConnectEd system that makes calls to CMS families. This year's total operating budget for CMS is about $1.2 billion.

In earlier budget meetings, Hattabaugh has outlined more than $30 million in additional requests for county money, including $25 million to $30 million to provide 3 percent across-the-board raises for more than 18,000 CMS employees. Harold Cogdell, chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners, has said he will not support that request and doesn't believe a majority of his board will approve it.

Hattabaugh defended that proposal today, saying employees deserve a raise. He said CMS leaders have cut $193 million and almost 2,000 jobs over the past three years.

"We kept our highest performers as we went through this process," he said.

For 2012-13 Hattabaugh has also outlined plans to spend $4.4 million in new county money hiring more teachers and technology facilitators for high schools, and just over $1 million to expand Communities in Schools and truancy courts.

On Feb. 28, Hattabaugh plans to outline proposed cuts to offset some of the increased spending. Enrollment is expected to grow by about 1,900 students next year.

In April, the board will vote on a budget request to present to county commissioners. The state and federal governments provide more than two-thirds of CMS' budget, but local officials have little control over that spending.

It will fall to a new superintendent to put whatever budget is approved into practice. The board is doing a national search and hopes to hire someone as early as March.

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CMS seeks money to spread digital message