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anything away from that school district because I think it's a wonderful school district. But I happen to teach in Orange County. You know, the reason I voted far you is because I think you're goad people. You know, you're intelligent, compassionate, hard- working, good human beings. That's what I want for every kid that I've ever taught. I want them to be a goad, productive, thoughtful human being. And that's why I'm thankful that you're discussing the merger issue. Because issues such as this need to be thoroughly discussed. Let's get everyone's input. If takes a year, if it takes two years, if it takes three years, you won't hear me complaining. I'm really not sure right now haw I would vote if I were in your shoes. I think it's a really difficult issue with lots to weigh. But I've also been reading and hearing that there's another issue that you've been debating, and I'm having a real hard time with that one. It seems to me that since you are the taxing authority of Orange County and the zoning authority of Orange County, and are responsible for the condition of the tax base of Orange County, then you are responsible for the funding authority of Orange County. How can it be that you fund the education of Orange County's children unequally? In fact, from where I view this issue, you have given up same of your funding control to the Orange County Board of Education. Many people run far and win positions an the school board so that they can control taxes. Haw dare they do that? They should be fighting for more opportunities for their students, not fewer. But they are in the position to keep things off of the budget. They don't ask you for them, so you feel like they don't need them. They do need them. You're smarter than that. But you do give them power by under funding the Orange County schools. I know that with the numbers being thrown around so widely, everyone in Orange County knows that you give kids in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools over $1,000 per year more than a child in the Orange County schools. I know it's complicated where the money comes from, but how do you explain to a child, one that I teach, that they don't deserve as much as another child? How is it that one child deserves $1,000 less a year than another? That money can buy a lot of opportunities. Are you willing to tell my student why he doesn't deserve these opportunities? How can this be an issue? Aren't you a little embarrassed that you have been unequally funding these children for years and years? Take five years to figure out the merger issue, but let's be fair. At your next meeting, declare that from now on every child's education in Orange County deserves to be funded equally. That's the least we can do, and then we can argue about merger. Thank you. Shang Yin: Hi. Good Evening. My name is Shang Yin. I am the principal of the Chinese School in Chapel Hill. About 300 of our students meet every Saturday at Philips Middle School and participate in Chinese language classes, art, music, SAT, etc. I'm also a father of two students at Seawell Elementary School. Tonight I'm grateful far this opportunity to speak in front of you an behalf of my many parents, teachers, and students who live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district -some who may not have the opportunity to speak tonight because of their limited time. We are strongly against the merger. We believe that both school systems are excellent. However, it is no accident that we call Chapel Hill-Carrboro our homes. We choose to live there for a very specific reason. Firstly, the combination of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community investment in time, effort, and special district tax that are resulting academic excellence. Secondly, specialty programs such as English as a second language that helps us