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merger. I believe strongly that Orange County schools can no longer be tied financially to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools. It is too easy far the Commissioners to depend on the Chapel Hill district tax to alleviate the pressure of staying under 48°!o of the County general fund budget. Several schools will be built in the coming years. Using history as a predictor far the future, each year an additional school is built and opened in Chapel Hill, a greater shortfall will exist in funding Orange County schools' budget. Each year an additional school is built and opened in Orange County, Chapel Hill will be funded aver 100°~. Right now, we are just paying the bills. It is unacceptable that Orange County does not have a foreign language program far every elementary school applause). Given all the data that indicates how a foreign language aids in learning, how children learn best at a young age, and the fact that not only da we live in a multi- linguisticworld; we live in amulti-linguistic County. Every child graduating from the Orange County schools would benefit from a foreign language; whether their future is in a trade or international business. I believe the citizens of Orange County should step up to the plate to contribute to their schools. Ida not agree with the "go tax yourselves" mentality. First, any Orange County district tax will not negate the fact that we would still be tied financially to Chapel Hill. It will not give us the financial autonomy we are seeking. Additionally, a district tax is too political at this time and there is no permanence to it. Merging the two school systems has its own set of problems, which have been written and spoken about often. Some of the problems outlined are valid, while same are pure sensationalism. At least merging would permanently solve the financial problem. I am still searching for the optimal solution far our problem. Ida not want to put aband-aid over the problem and revisit it in another five years. I would like to challenge the citizens of Orange County to come up with a solution to our problem - the problem that Orange County school district is financially limited by the Chapel Hill district tax. The solution must one, be permanent, two, eliminate Orange County school district's penalization due to the Chapel Hill district tax, and three, allow Chapel Hill and Orange County to focus on the needs of their own populations. Finally, it would be nice to truly believe the Commissioners became Commissioners to lead all of Orange County to a brighter future. It is unacceptable for a Commissioner to put the interests of one town ahead of the rest of the entire County. Chapel Hill is only one town in Orange County, albeit the biggest, but it does not solely make up Orange County. Thank you very much for your time. Debbie Miller: Good evening. My name is Debbie Miller. I am the PTA Council representative from Chapel Hill High School PTA. We would like to go on record as endorsing Neil Pederson's recommendations of October 9, 2003. Chapel Hill High School parent volunteers would like to help make collaboration effar#s between the two school systems become a reality. We state that a merger is not the solution to equalize school funding differences between the two school systems. At this time, we are apposed to the merger of the two school systems. Thank you. Jeff Danner: Good evening, my name is Jeff Danner. I live in Chapel Hill and I have two small children; one in kindergarten and one will be starting in two years. I appreciate the opportunity to come before you this evening to speak in opposition of the merger. In the time that's been available to me, I've attempted to educate myself on the