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service. It is a two-year program. This is a total cost of $650,000 that Orange County did not have to use. They have not had any support from Orange County. They are only asking for $10,000. He said that TROSA would not close the doors to anyone who needs help. They provide everything for anyone that needs it -clothing, food, education, medical services, etc. AI Hartkapf thanked the Board for the high level of commitment to the schools. He said that he and his wife moved to Orange County because of the schools and the funding commitment shown by the Board of County Commissioners. He has two daughters at Hillsborough Elementary School and they are delighted with the education received there. He made reference to his daughter's EOG scores and said that it is clear that the Orange County school system performs significantly better than the State watermark. This moment of pride in his daughter and in this system is made possible by the Board's commitment to providing funding at the level needed. He hopes this moment of pride will be repeated far parents across Orange County by raising the watermark. He said that the Board has time and time again thought outside the box to find innovative ways to do what was best for the citizens. This is one of the opportunities to think outside the box and do what it takes to fully fund the needs of the Orange County schools. Teri Stern spoke on behalf of the Seawell Elementary School Governance Committee. She said that they understand that the County Commissioners give a bucket of money and the board of education decides how to allocate the funds. They hope that the funding determination is not arbitrary. She said that the Board of County Commissioners should use whatever means available to properly fund the schools, which are a vital part of Orange County's identity. They are particularly concerned with teacher assistant funding. Kindergarten through third grade teacher assistants are critical and must be fully funded. They are frustrated that the State can cut class sizes by a few students and think that a reduction of merely a few students renders teacher assistants unnecessary. They have written the State representatives about these matters and have copied the Board of County Commissioners via email. They support the CHCCS proposed budget. Karl Knapp is a resident of the Laurel Springs neighborhood and he has two children in the CHCCS. He supports a larger increase in the per pupil allocation. He said that the proposed $54 increase represents only two percent growth, which does not even keep pace with the six percent growth of the budget or the four percent growth in the tax base. The proposed amount would not even provide enough funds to match the State mandates and other critical needs set forth as the minimum. He said that he knows it is not the responsibility of the County Commissioners to decide on line items in the budget, but it is their responsibility to know the consequences of the decisions made about per student funding levels. If this funding level is maintained, the teacher assistants, Spanish teachers, social workers, substitute teachers, school resource officers, and others will be cut. He understands the concern about the general spending in the County, but last year there was broad support for increased funding in the Orange County schools and many County Commissioners made statements to the effect that they supported increased funding. Naw is the time to act an it. He believes that the 48.1 °~ target for education is not appropriate far this budget. He said that it was time to reconsider this target. Ingrid Harm-Ernandes is a parent of two Orange County students. She said that the cost of the new Chapel Hill schools is considerably more than the new schools in Orange County. She said that the buildings are being paid with capital expenses, so the burden is on all taxpayers in the County and not just Chapel Hill. The district tax does not go to building the schools, as she understands. She said that OCS was paying $2 million less for a middle school being built in