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mean, that it would be at the higher level -the level of the higher funded system, and that the higher funded system over time would not be disadvantaged because of this. In other words, the higher funded system would continue to expand and as growth expands they would get funds, but not only that, they would be able to achieve the goals that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools have traditionally been able to achieve. In other words, what we would be doing is making all the school children in Orange County have the same opportunity, the same funding. However, if you had two separate systems then each school board in each area would pursue the particular mix that they felt most appropriate far the students. I do realize, over the time that I have been active in public education that the trend has been mare toward smaller, not just recently with the Gates Foundation, but also in what has been known as site based management. Our school governance committees have been in place in some of the schools and they really have a say, so that there is an effective unit of governance at that building level. So, the question is da you want equality of funding far two systems assuming that it would be at the higher level and that bath systems would be improved in their level of funding, and that includes both the Orange County system and the Chapel Hill system not being "held harmless" but actually not suffering any harm. Or do you want merger? I would be particularly very interested in knowing if you distinguish between those two things and if so, how you da sa? Chair Brown: Any other comments questions? I just had a few because everybody pretty much said what I was interested in. Maybe at the public hearings we could have a better understanding or description of SAPFO. We know it so well but I think a lot of people don't understand SAPFO and don't know how it works. They should because it is very much a part of school expansion and growth in the community. That was a big step far, certainly the Commissioners and all of the communities and the school boards to get together and put that in and it just went into effect last month. We will see how it will play out over the next few years. think a good explanation needs to be developed; I believe Commissioner Jacobs mentioned it too, about the effect that a merger might have outside the city limits of Chapel Hill-Carrboro in terms of growth. I think many people do not know the planning that the Commissioners already have in place to address growth issues and protection of natural resources and protection of watersheds, and so on. So we have our growth plan. When I read the part that the two school boards put together, which was excellent, but it occurred to me that it was also possibly leaving out some of the good things that both systems offer. I would have loved for it to be more specific. Perhaps if you have the time you could give us more meat on what you both offer. I know when we had the survey that was sent out a year and a half ago to both systems' students that they were very enthusiastic about being able to take courses that were provided in each other's districts. There were some very specific things from ROTC to the different chorus things that go on in Orange County Schools, participation in all sorts of things. If you could give us mare of an idea of those differences, the opportunity differences, I think that would be very good. Perhaps if you could come up with a clear explanation of the timeline that we are looking at in terms of - I think what Commissioner Gordon was talking about -how long would it take to actually raise the taxes in the Orange County system so that there is same equity. Would that take 10 years, then I guess it is the 1 Q-year plan. That to me is a lot