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that for all of the panic of the distant possibility of long bus rides for City children, <br />County students already experience this in rides of more than an hour each way for <br />many of our students. You know that the recent momentum behind the district tax in <br />Orange County or collaboration between the two districts won't accomplish what our <br />students need most - a guarantee of equal access to the excellence our County can <br />offer. You know these things, and now thanks to this process, parents in the County <br />district know these things as well. They know, and they won't soon forget. They've <br />figured out the problem, and they've figured out the solution. They know that merger <br />offers the only guarantee to our children. Please take this courageous step, take it now, <br />and let all of the parents begin now to work for the good of all the children. <br />Cathy Saylor: Thank you, my name is Cathy Saylor. My husband and I and our son <br />and daughter have lived in northern Orange County for the last nine years. Between <br />them, our children have spent 13 years in the Orange County School system. In that <br />time, they've had many excellent and dedicated teachers. However, you don't have to <br />look too closely at the two school systems to see the result of the funding disparity <br />between them. I don't think that this happened because anyone made a malicious <br />decision, but there is a major difference in the educational opportunities for the children <br />in the two systems. I have attended County Commissioner meetings in the Hillsborough <br />courthouse where the meeting was packed with parents begging the County <br />Commissioners to fully fund the Orange County Schools' budget request, but under the <br />current arrangement, that can't happen. So, I would like to thank you, the County <br />Commissioners, for having the courage to tackle this politically unpopular issue, and <br />urge you to do the right thing. And if the right thing turns out to be merging the two <br />school systems, and to give our children equal educational opportunities, then please <br />do it. Thank you. <br />Kathy Hartkopf: Good evening. Thank you for hosting these forums to hear from the <br />public. My name is Kathy Hartkopf, I live in Hillsborough. I'm really glad I'm speaking <br />right now, because I am not pro-merger. I'm very concerned about the proposed <br />merger of our two school districts. We moved our family from Durham where a merger <br />had just occurred between their two school districts. We made the choice to move to <br />northern Orange and have been absolutely delighted with the quality of education our <br />daughters have received and continue to receive. I appreciate the high percentage of <br />funding that the Orange County Board of Commissioners allocates to the education of <br />all of our children in Orange County. That came into play with our decision to move to <br />Orange County. I stand before you tonight as a parent of these two young girls who are <br />thriving in their Orange County School district. I stand before you tonight as a parent <br />with a lot of unanswered questions. I respectfully request that the general public be <br />provided with more detailed analysis about what a merger would actually mean for our <br />children and for all of our families. I studied the merger report, and I attended the <br />presentation in the hopes of becoming informed. I've attempted to learn more about <br />mergers by studying statutes, historical data, the differences and similarities between <br />the two school systems. I've spoken with DPI merger specialists, superintendents from <br />merged districts, and legislators. I've read papers, I helped plan the INFORM forum, <br />and I attended the pro-merger forum, because I feel that it is important to hear all sides <br />