RALEIGH - Under pressure from county commissioners who warn that the money pot is dry and parents who say more needs to be done to improve education, Wake school leaders Tuesday presented two vastly different budget options -- one flush, the other austere.

Under the bare-bones scenario, school leaders expressed fear they'll get less than half of the $35 million funding increase that Superintendent Del Burns has requested from commissioners. They warn this could force them to slash employee dental benefits and pay raises to make up most of the budget shortfall.

"It maintains programs and services for students at the expense of employees," Burns said.

Under the high-dollar scenario, school administrators envisioned what could happen if Wake got the same amount Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Peter Gorman wants from his commissioners.

This would nearly double the increase Burns requested and could lead to hiring officers to deal with gangs in high schools, offering foreign language in all elementary schools and increasing services for academically gifted students.

"While this is a lot of money, this doesn't even begin to touch the things we need to be doing," school board member Lori Millberg said.

Earlier this month, Burns presented a proposed $1.2 billion operating budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year. He wants the county to provide $335.7 million, a 12 percent increase in funding.

Burns has said his budget is a "no-frills" request designed largely to keep up with growth and inflation. But county commissioners, who have promised to hold the line on property taxes, say Burns is asking for more money than they have available.

The budget options set forth Tuesday were met with skepticism from the commissioners.

Joe Bryan, commissioners chairman, recalled that school leaders have threatened to cut employee dental benefits in the past.

"It's the same spring dance," he said.

School board members said the cuts were a real possibility.

"For me, the frightening thing is, these are the kinds of decisions we could be forced to make," school board member Patti Head said.

Some Wake teachers say eliminating benefits would gnaw at morale. "There is a feeling nationwide that the profession is not respected equal to other professions, and when you take away benefits, it perpetuates that," said Beth Levine, a veteran teacher at Douglas Elementary School. "But on the other side, we don't want things taken away from the kids."

If the cuts have to be made, Millberg said the board needs to consider cutting athletics and academics to avoid putting so much of the burden on employees.

School board members were more enthusiastic about programs that could be provided if Wake matched Charlotte's funding.

Administrators say they based these recommendations on what was included in a comprehensive outside audit of the school district's curriculum that was presented last year.

"It's not a Christmas list or a wish list," Burns said. "It's something that will strengthen our classrooms."

Several school board members said they want to add at least some of those new programs to the budget before presenting it to commissioners.

"We need to ask for what's needed," school board member Eleanor Goettee said.

Karen Nowak, a North Raleigh parent, didn't hesitate on who she blamed for the situation.

"The only problem with Wake County schools are the Wake County commissioners," she said.

(Staff writer Sam LaGrone contributed to this report.)