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Tracey Benson is the Proficiency Specialist and Site Director of Jump Time at Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill. He urged the County Commissioners to fund their after school program. He said that this program helps hundreds of at-risk and non- proficient students to improve their academic skills and feel more connected to their overall school community. Jump Time provides supplemental academic instruction and homework support for those that need it most. Jump Time also acts as a social center for the at-risk program. He quoted a fifth grade student, "I feel so different during the day, but at Jump Time, I fit in." This benefit is immeasurable and invaluable. He said that the grant for this program was over, which would mean that the program was over. If this program were not funded, these children would be left to their awn means. He spoke in support of continuing this program. Jocelyn Sargent is the Assistant Director of the Stone Center far Black Culture and History at UNC. She is also a mentor in the Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocacy program. She spoke about their relationship with the school district at the Stone Center. She explained the "Communiversity" program, where college student volunteers provide supplemental education services through cultural literacy and homework assistance. She said that gaps still remain between white students and students of color in terms of academic performance. She urged the County Commissioners to fully support the school budgets. Kelly Monroe-Porco said that she has heard the County Commissioners say before that they provide the money and it is up to the school boards to spend it. She said that with the 4% increase, OCS would only be able to meet mandates. She asked the County Commissioners' advice on what the school board should cut. She said that the items in their budget were not fluff. She asked far help in coming up with creative ways to fully fund the budget. Liz Brown said that this is her fifth year of asking for Spanish teachers and other expansion items. She said that she would not give up. She thanked John Link for not raising the CHCCS district tax. It will take courage to lower it, but that is the only way to chip away at the disparity that exists between the two school systems in the same County. She asked why one student should get mare money ($1,200) than another because his parents can afford to buy a house in a district that has the extra tax or because her parents have just moved here, unlike the farm kid whose parents cannot just pick up the hay fields and move to town. This is a social justice issue. She said that Orange County is 17t" in the state in overall funding but the state is 39t" in the nation in dollars spend on education. Last year OCS received only 85 percent of the requested budget. Over the past six years, OCS has been 50 percent shy of their budget. Marjory Moe said that she is the faculty co-chair of the Rashkis Elementary School governance committee. She is also the Media Specialist at Rashkis. She said that the current recommendation from the County Manager gives the CHCCS a $1.3 million increase in the current expense budget. This figure will barely cover the anticipated increase in state salaries, health insurance, and retirement contributions. This figure will not cover the additional 277 students expected to enroll next year. She asked the County Commissioners to increase the CHCCS by $1.9 million, which would be a total increase of $3.2 million, which is what Dr. Pederson requested. This amount does not address any program expansion or enhancement. Nerys Levy spoke an behalf of the Carrboro Branch Library and asked the Board to approve the additional six hours budgeted. These hours are needed to have