The specifics of the plan, however, are up in the air - even though County Executive John R. Leopold announced it publicly yesterday.

He said that he wants to delay the maximum security jail expansion at Ordnance Road, and funnel the money toward repairing Folger McKinsey and Belle Grove Elementary Schools, as well as combining the Phoenix Center, Germantown and Annapolis Elementary Schools into one new school.

Mr. Leopold has come under assault from angry parents who say his proposed spending plan this year ignores their children's schools. At least one parent found his announcement disingenuous, especially because only the County Council has the authority to execute that plan.

"He wants to be the hero, even though he was the one that cut us out in the first place," said Wendy Ladas, chair of the Folger McKinely Citizens' Advisory Committee. "I'm not hanging my hat on it at all until I see the final budget from the County Council."

Ms. Ladas and her committee launched the "Schools before Jails" campaign late last week by plastering signs in and around Severna Park. They also joining the chorus of parents inundating councilmen with phone calls, faxes and e-mails because Mr. Leopold's proposed budget contained little or no money for new school projects.

Mr. Leopold announced the intention to swap schools for the jail in the county's $3.6 billion capital budget last night during a community meeting at the Severna Park library branch.

"I'm hoping we can do these things," Mr. Leopold said to the Greater Severna Park Council. "It is frustrating to not have all the resources I need."

The councilmen who would approve the plan, however, had not heard of it.

"This was the first I heard that the (Mr. Leopold) was planning to scrap the jail project, which we need," said Councilman Josh Cohen, D-Annapolis.

Although Mr. Cohen believes "the council seems pretty united at this point to finding money" for school construction, he doubted the proposal to collapse Annapolis area elementary schools into one complex would find support among parents.

Mr. Leopold said the Phoenix Center-Germantown-Annapolis complex would be similar to the project that combined West Meade and Pershing Hill elementary schools into one school in west county. Additional details of that plan not available before press time.

The idea must be approved by a majority of the council, who can cut funds from Mr. Leopold's original spending plan, but can only add money to the schools' budget.

Eliminating or delaying the jail project has gained support among councilmen, particularly if the money is used to build schools.

"I think both the council and the county executive, independently, have come to shift the (projects') priority," said Council Vice Chairman Ed Reilly, R-Crofton.

Putting more money toward school repairs drew immediate support from state leaders including House Speaker Michael E. Busch, who said he promised to fight for state dollars to help pick up the tab.

The public announcement of the plan came the same day the state's school construction guru, David Lever, told the council Anne Arundel has received disproportionately little money from the state because of local school-building policies.

Chairman Cathy Vitale, R-Severna Park, said at last night's community meeting that without council intervention, Mr. Leopold budget means "that by 2011, the only school that will be in the pipeline for state money is North East High School."

The schools have a $1.5 billion backlog of school renovations and maintenance work, according to recent school system study.

Ms. Vitale told parents that Mr. Leopold "makes no more choices. He presented his budget, and it had no money for your school."

The council will continue public hearings on the proposed budget at 7 p.m. tonight in the Arundel Center, 44 Calvert St. in Annapolis.