Anne Arundel County schools Superintendent Eric J. Smith yesterday presented an "extraordinarily tight" $640.6 million operating budget to the Board of Education that cuts back programs such as teacher mentoring and includes an ambitious multimillion-dollar textbook purchasing plan.

Smith also announced his decision to place all middle and high schools on uniform schedules based on four-period days, ending weeks of public debate on the issue.

He said he "agonized" over the public's concerns but was unwilling to delay the change, which will occur next fall. Smith said he needs schools to be on the same page, so he can control the quality of instruction and reduce a racial achievement gap and other academic problems.

Noting difficult economic conditions, Smith said he and his staff did their best to save money and move forward with academic initiatives that include an $11.6 million program to buy standard textbooks for every student in every subject and the implementation of Open Court - a phonics-based reading curriculum - in all elementary schools.

In the area of school construction, Smith proposed a trimmed-down $62.3 million capital budget - down nearly $2 million from an early projection - that postpones several large projects, including a gymnasium at North County High School and a science lab at Arundel High School.

"It's more important now than ever that we have clearly defined goals when you're dealing with very limited revenue," Smith said at a news conference before the board meeting. "You really have to make sure you're spending money in ways that are giving maximum returns."

Smith's proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2004, which begins in July, represents a 6.2 percent increase compared with this year's budget, the smallest increase since 1999, according to school officials. Most of the $37.3 million increase goes toward maintaining the basic operations of the school system.

Teachers union President Sheila Finlayson criticized Smith's proposal to fund the academic initiatives while cutting back on resources that teachers depend on, such as teacher mentors and counselors who work with troubled children.

"All these programs are great and wonderful, but if we don't have good teachers that are staying with us, then all the programs won't make a difference," Finlayson said, adding that the cutbacks to teacher support services would make Anne Arundel County a less attractive place to work.

As an investment toward one of his chief academic goals - ensuring that 85 percent of pupils in grades two through eight are proficient in reading, writing and math by 2007 - Smith proposed spending more than $6 million to revamp math and reading instruction for all students. A large share of that money will go toward the Open Court initiative at elementary schools.

The textbook initiative also represents a major increase over the current spending of $1.6 million a year on textbooks.

Other new areas of spending in the operating budget, which total $8.5 million, would include:

$150,000 to start the International Baccalaureate program at two high schools.

$200,000 to start full-day kindergarten at 10 low-performing schools.

$205,000 to provide all middle and high schools with a support program for students who would not have otherwise considered college.

$389,000 to increase Advanced Placement course offerings.

$462,000 to the College Board, which administers the SAT and AP exams, for teacher training and consultant fees.

$547,000 to improve school computer systems and increase Internet access speed.

The superintendent proposed $12.8 million in savings, including some state grant money that had been restricted to specific programs but now can be used elsewhere.

The rest of the savings will come from redeployment of staff to fulfill the need for more teachers created by the academic initiatives.

Sixteen of the 32 existing pupil personnel workers, who work with troubled students, will move to guidance or teaching jobs. Thirteen of the 26 teacher mentors, who give support to new teachers, will return to the classroom.

And a third of the system's resource teachers, who give help to teachers in their field of expertise, will move to instructional jobs.

Besides the postponed construction projects at North County and Arundel high schools in the capital budget, Smith delayed work on several elementary school construction projects and trimmed projects.

The school board is scheduled to hold two public hearings next month, after which it will vote on and forward a budget proposal to County Executive Janet S. Owens.

Owens will present her budget for County Council approval in May.