RALEIGH - An extra $35 million may be considered a "no-frills" budget request by Wake County school leaders, but the county commissioners who are being asked to ante up warn that it's too much to ask from taxpayers.

Releasing his proposed operating budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year Tuesday, Wake Superintendent Del Burns said the additional money he's asking for is needed largely to keep up with growth and inflation.

Burns said the $35 million increase in county money would be the equivalent of an additional $140 for each Wake student in the coming fiscal year.

"That's a couple of tanks of gas for those of us who drive minivans and SUVs," Burns told school board members. "This is a no-frills budget."

But for county commissioners, who control the purse strings, it's a case of sticker shock. Burns is asking for a 12 percent increase in the amount of county money contributed to the school budget.

"This would appear to be a budget that would take all of our revenue growth and leave no other funds for any other county services" said Joe Bryan, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. "I don't think we could grow the county services and taxes by 12 percent."

Burns' proposed operating budget would increase the county's spending per pupil to $2,311, a 6 percent increase.

The state will provide 61 percent of Burns' proposed $1.2 billion operating budget. But school leaders and commissioners frequently clash over the county's share, which is about 27 percent of Burns' budget.

Last year, commissioners agreed to increase school funding by $24.9 million, $5 million short of what the school board requested.

This year, Burns wants the county to provide $335.8 million, up from $300.8 million. Even the budget's starting point of $300.8 million looks like it will be a flashpoint this year.

In October, County Manager David Cooke sent a memo to commissioners recommending the school system base its new budget on a starting figure of $294.3 million. He said school leaders should not use $300.8 million as their starting point.

The reason for the difference is that enrollment turned out to be 2,000 fewer students than expected this year. The school district also overestimated the county's share of state-mandated teacher pay increases. As a result of the miscues, county leaders say they gave the school system almost $6.4 million more than they should have -- a figure school leaders dispute.

Commissioner Tony Gurley said Burns ignored the direction the county had given and built his budget on the higher figure.

"It's built on faulty enrollment numbers. It's ludicrous," said Gurley, the former commissioners' chairman. "I would think the school board should correct that before it comes to the board [of commissioners]."

But before commissioners get the budget, the school board will review the proposal. A public hearing is scheduled for March 18. A final vote is scheduled for late April.

Beverley Clark, vice chairwoman of the school board, stressed how other school districts, such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg, provide more local money per pupil than Wake, which is now North Carolina's largest school district.

"It's very, very important that we bring it down to the student level and look at the consequences," Clark said.

But the difficulties of negotiating a new school budget deal will be compounded by the county's recent property tax revaluation.

Well ahead of preparing their own budget, commissioners have promised to lower the tax rate so no additional revenue will be generated by the revaluation. The revaluation raised the value of real estate in the county 43 percent for tax purposes.

Citing the recent economic downturn, Bryan said he anticipates lower tax revenues and hard decisions on programs.

"It will be a difficult year for budgets," Bryan said.