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magnet schools, and alternative schools that would open up capacity in existing schools <br />and increase opportunities for children across the County. Let's be creative in trying to <br />address the concerns of residents of both districts by proposing compromise and <br />alternatives rather than throwing out the futures of Orange County district kids with the <br />bathwater of anxiety and resistance to change that you are hearing from some parents <br />tonight. Please have the courage to do the right thing and eliminate our separate and <br />unequal school districts now. Thank you. <br />Anne Lindsey: Thank you. I think we all know that if a merger decision were left to <br />citizens of Orange County today, there would be a resounding no. City schools parents <br />spoke last week overwhelmingly, and tonight, about their fears. I have spoken to <br />County parents over the past week and I find that there are other concerns from these <br />parents as well. We know haw the no tax folks feel, we heard from them last week, just <br />as we have been hearing from them for decades. But I also heard from one parent who <br />worried that the vocational programs in the County system would be at risk. And I <br />heard from parents who have been so offended by the rhetoric of the City schools <br />parents that they simply say they want nothing to do with the discussion. The divide <br />that separates these school systems runs deep. Stacy Lee's extraordinary statement <br />last week said it all: "It is time to remove this wall that maintains the division so extreme <br />that fear replaces reason." The arguments for merger are many -greater efficiency, <br />broader program offerings, the establishment of funding fairness, better resource <br />distribution, more efficient school citing, and perhaps most importantly, the removal of <br />the two system mythology. This merger discussion is all about exploring our potential, <br />not exploiting our fears. There's no reason to assume that redistricting need happen <br />immediately, and in fact, if we establish magnet schools, we may not need redistricting <br />at all. Quality education will center on quality schools throughout the County. So what <br />is our potential? It is truly amazing. A united countywide system will fully fund for the <br />first time in years the schools that now make up the Orange County school system. A <br />merged system will include an alternative school that serves the entire County and will <br />finally give students now falling between the cracks and the County schools hope for <br />their futures. A merged system can develop magnet schools available for all of the <br />County students. Year round schools, IB program schools, schools with strength in <br />vocational training, schools with strength in the arts, schools with strength in math and <br />science. A Countywide system will provide equal opportunity for children to have <br />foreign language in all of our elementary schools. A merged system will allow all of our <br />schools in this County to have adequate textbooks, media resources, nursing staff, <br />social workers, AG teachers. ,..what a vision for our future. Let's make it happen, let's <br />merge these systems, and make the unified system the best school system in the <br />country. We are smart enough to figure out how to do this with the greatest benefit to <br />all. Thank you. <br />Susan Houck: I'm an Orange County parent, and I heard a lot of City people say no <br />merger last week as well as this week. I think it's easy to just say no, but not very <br />helpful. We need solutions, one of which is merger, to the funding inequity. And the <br />solution should meet, ideally, three criteria: It should fix the funding inequity, it should <br />be binding by law, and it should address the $100 million projected capital expenses far <br />