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CHARLOTTE – The superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools says increasing academic achievement and finding more qualified teachers will take top priority in 2009.

In 2008, CMS launched six new schools on time and on budget. Students showed gains on 12 of 14 state assessments. They also outperformed other countries in math scores last year.

That's progress on which school officials want to build in 2009.

But a bleak economic forecast could prove problematic for CMS.

"We're beginning to work on how we can trim the budget right now," CMS Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman. "This will be a painful process because it will affect schools."

CMS already made significant reductions to its current budget. Now, there's talk of trimming another 5 percent as the county looks to cut back.

With more state cuts on the horizon, the superintendent said overcoming the obstacles will be difficult, but not impossible.

In an in-depth interview with News 14 Carolina, Gorman said attracting more qualified teachers will be the district's No. 1 focus.

"We are in a unique position with the economy," he said. "We can be more selective than ever on picking the best staff available."

The district also plans to make student safety a top priority. This month, CMS launched comprehensive criminal background checks on all 23,000 employees.

"Our main goal is to provide for the safety of our employees and students," Maurice Ambler, chief human resources officer, said.

CMS has already begun working on the district's 2014 strategic plan. The current strategic plan runs through 2010.