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have another perspective. I think we saw that very clearly in some earlier material we got at budget time last year. But once again I want to thank the staff. It is voluminous to say the least. I learned a lot about Kings Mountain, I think it is amazing that you have a group of people running around merging three school systems, either they did or did not realize that part of that school system is in another county. If they did a thorough examination of the program as we have done maybe they would have figured that out. But I just find that, where was their School Board attorney and where was the county attorney and everybody else in the county. I am glad we are not in that kind of situation. But I wanted to commend John and the staff. I told John I think this is one of the mare interesting things that the staff has put together along with the help of both school systems in a relatively short period of time. Chair Brown: Did you want any of your questions answered by Rod Visser? Commissioner Halkiotis: Not tonight, no, but I just think if we are going to talk about alternatives thereto, I think that is intriguing, it is provocative, it is almost spell binding. I would like to knave what this magical herb is that somebody is waving in front of me. John Link: I'm afraid you will be disappointed with the answer in terms of it being spell binding, but we will certainly respond. Commissioner Carey: Just describe the herb that you are waving in front of us. Commissioner Gordan: Yes, a couple of things. Thank you to the staff of the county and the two school systems for getting together and producing this. Just a couple of comments following up on what Commission Halkiotis said. I guess in particular, if you look at the commissioners' goals, this adopted goal, there are some things the staff tried to address and some things the staff didn't try to address. And I would like to see some emphasis given to the educational and student impacts, specifically number 2 -analysis of the impacts that a possible merger would have on current class size, and current curriculum offered in both districts. You have given a general overview, but I would like some more specifics, and what would likely happen to current class size and the curriculum. Answer it as well as you can. It might be easier to do class size actually and then curriculum. And then the next one, number three - a detailed analysis of the effects of a possible merger on students in both districts including potentially redistricting and the resulting transportation patterns far students in the two districts including the degree to which extensive additional busing will be necessitated. I believe both Commissioners Jacobs and Halkiotis referred to this and to the extent you can, you might please mention the schools you think will most likely be affected. What schools would likely be receiving students in a merged district? The other thing to talk about is following upon the "alternative thereto", and actually working an these various methods besides merger to equalize funding. I think that as you look at the various analyses, one of the things that stands out is the difference in the district tax that one system has and the other system doesn't. One could work on the disparity of funding, which is basically a subset of merger but a critical part of merger,