UPDATE—Barbara Burnopp, chief financial officer for the school system, said Tuesday night that the funding is in place for Hampton Elementary School and that it is going through the process.

Currently the state is only funding $950,000, but Burnopp said the school system is requesting more.

The county is also committed to funding $7 million, with more for the upcoming fiscal year.

Schools Superintendent Joe Hairston said that they are responding to the needs of Hampton parents.

"You have to understand this is the process," he said.

Board President Earnest Hines said that the board can't raise  revenue or issue bonds, so the system is doing what it can and requesting the funds.

"We've got the wheels, but we don't have the body for the car," he said.

ORIGINAL—County and state elected officials have come together in a bipartisan effort to write a letter urging the Baltimore County School System to "alleviate the severe overcrowding" at Hampton Elementary by prioritizing the school's expansion plan.

The letter, signed by six elected officials in advance of Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting, calls for the school system to include renovating the library and cafeteria in its expansion plan. 

"We are writing to express our strong support for making the proposed addition at Hampton Elementary School the top funding priority in the school system's FY 2012 capital budget," states the Dec. 21 letter signed by District 3 Councilman Todd Huff, District 5 Councilman David Marks, State Sen. James Brochin, Del. Susan Aumann, Del. William Frank and Del. Stephen Lafferty.

A separate letter was also sent by Huff.

The Republican councilman has a special interest in obtaining the necessary funding for Hampton because two of his children, ages 8 and 5, are students at the school.

"This issue there has been very important to me for years," Huff said. "Not only as the new county councilman do I want to look out for all our students, but I directly understand the issues and the problems with the overcrowding."

Huff echoed the fears held by many parents who believe the county will resort to relocating pockets of students to other schools as a short-term relief effort.

He said he hasn't seen any plans that have been drafted for the renovation, although it's clear that preliminary plans do not include expanding the school's gymnasium or cafeteria.

"We also ask for serious consideration for improvements that enhance the core areas of the building, such as the library and cafeteria," the letter states. "Often, when additions are constructed, funds are not allocated to improve those parts of the building that are also impacted by a larger school enrollment."

The lawmakers lobbying efforts on behalf of the school have been fueled, in part, by  parents worried that school's funding priority could slip as it did in 2009 to accommodate other school construction projects.

Countywide, school system officials say the county needs $2 billion to overhaul and expand its facilities.

Both letters are attached to this story. Towson Patch Editor Tyler Waldman contributed to this report.