In his presentation of the budget on Monday evening, City Schools Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard said there may be some additional help from the federal stimulus package and state aid once that budget is passed. But he hasn't counted on it.

This budget follows Brizard's first full year in charge of city schools. Amid chronic criticism of district spending in relationship to student performance, are we seeing a tipping point?

After years of criticism regarding low student achievement, some of it well-deserved, there are signs that student achievement is improving in Rochester city schools. Brizard's trajectory toward a 75-percent graduation rate by 2012 appears to be on track.

A look at the percentage of students expected to perform at grade level in English language arts and math, though still low, shows incremental increases in both the elementary and secondary levels. (Progress is still slower in seventh and eighth grades.)

The bulk of the budget going to salaries instead of  students is another perennial criticism.

True, Brizard expects to spend nearly $484 million on salaries, about 70 percent of his budget. But business people know that the biggest expense for most businesses is salaries. How do you best direct dollars to the classroom and students?

Of course, it's through committed and experienced teachers.

And Brizard is targeting spending toward specific objectives: more than $8 million to improve ELA and math scores, more that $12 million in initiatives to increase graduation outcomes, and more than $10 million to improve school safety.

The district will hold public hearings on the 2009-2010 budget this month. It's a time to probe and to make recommended adjustments.

This money comes from taxpayers, who deserve accountability.

But if we're seeing signs of improvement in student performance and graduation rates, and it appears we are under Brizard's leadership, we need to encourage more of it.

Accountability swings both ways.