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of parents have jobs without flexible schedules to allow them to accommodate a routine parentlteacher relationship in person. Myself, I work 25 miles away as a result of the transition and it's very difficult, but I have a great teacher, I have a great principal, and we work very well together. I'm very dependent an daily written notes and telephone discussions. Explore all the resources that will allow students, teachers, parents, and administration that will need a sound, collaborative support system, to ensure our children's academic and social education. It is clear that the financial needs of educational administration will dictate our future system, for it is very out of balance between the two systems. This financial system is supported by taxes that will have to be increased in same way to balance this funding gap. I'll mention again that 17 cents would be a financial burden to our northern Orange County residents, but it was good to hear a clarified statement tonight about the tax increase would be spread over a period of time. Real brief, I encourage you to seek the necessary sound leadership that will ultimately be the success story for our students achievements, both academically and socially, to fully support the administration and provide an equal educational opportunity with adequate funding available to meet each child's individual needs. Do not rush your decision. Unforeseen circumstances will result without an alternate plan. And students will suffer the mast, not the taxpayers. So I request that all Orange County residents be heard, have an input, and also to choose their children's academic and social needs, and to also have a choice of year round or traditional school. Cyndy Risku: My name is Cyndy Risku. I'm a Chapel Hill resident and until recently I didn't realize how bad a thing that was. If the Chapel Hill-Carrboro city school district tax limits and actually produces less funding for the County schools, then can it simply not be imposed and not collected? I believe the purpose of the district tax was to supplement the funding received from the County Commissioners, not limit the funding from them. I would also like to know are these funds that the County school system is not receiving actual real money or simply hypothetical. If both school systems requested $5,000 per pupil, and there was no Chapel Hill-Carrboro city school district tax, would both school systems actually in fact receive the requested $5,000 per pupil? This information is vital in deciding the pros and cans of merger. Is the Chapel Hill- Carrboro city school district tax honestly taking funding away from the County school system, or is it being used as an excuse? Also, is the County ready for the dense development that would be sure to follow a merger and the higher property values and the higher property taxes and the countywide tax? We know about all of this firsthand in Chapel Hill and Carrboro and would hate to see this happen to an unsuspecting county. Chapel Hill-Carrboro system has grown faster than schools can be approved, funded, and built and faster than trailers can be moved onto the new school grounds. Chapel Hill-Carrboro has been behind the eight ball far years when it comes to this. Yes, we have some new schools and we also have some of the oldest schools in the County. We have children in facilities that need to be upgraded, and we have children in trailers. The district tax was necessary just to bring the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system to this level, and hopefully be able to improve upon it as necessary. We have voted to pass the school bands time after time irregardless of which school system gets what because we value education, plain and simple. My husband and I chose to live within Chapel Hill town limits, to pay the housing premium, the higher tax rates, the additional school tax,