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she really wants to stay with the County. She urged the County Commissioners to support the recommendations of the employee consortium and the Manager. Linda Dougherty is an OCS parent. She realized that there was an issue that she wanted the County Commissioners to address when her son started attending public school in Orange County. For six years she has listened to parents, teachers, and staff ask the County Commissioners for mare funding for the OCS and to address the funding disparity between the two school systems. For six years she has heard that more information needs to be gathered and that research needs to be done. She hopes that after six years the County Commissioners finally have enough information to take action to deal with the funding inequities. She said that it is time for every child in Orange County, regardless of their address, to have access to the same educational opportunities and resources, and to have the same chances for achievement and success. She is willing to pay more to ensure the success of the schools and the children's opportunities. Gayanne Chambless is an OCS parent and volunteer. She is concerned about the recommended $95 per pupil, because she does not see how this will fund social workers, the elementary Spanish program, or textbooks. She said that the City district tax continually seems to hold the OCS hostage. She said that sa many countywide services are shared at the cost of taxpayers equally, yet the future of the children of Orange County is determined by who lives where. She asked the County Commissioners to find a way to change the status quo so that the children are no longer harmed based on where they live in the County. She spoke in support of reducing the district tax and increasing the property tax. She said that she was also shocked, as Mr. Weinberg was, after the discussions of the past two years that more was not done for OCS. She is willing to pay more taxes for education. She asked that bath school systems be fully funded and then using the district tax to fund the new state-of-the-art school that will be built in CHCCS. AI Hartkapf is an OCS board member. He asked for full funding for both school systems. He said that through interaction with the staff, board, the community, and the results of the Grumet report that the Board of County Commissioners commissioned, it is now plain for all to see that the OCS budget is a committed plan that addresses four key areas far the school system: Literacy development; dropout prevention; increasing student enrollment and performance through challenging coursework; and high quality teacher recruitment, development, and retention. They have tied specific positions and actions to these areas. He said that there is much more than just social workers. They are trying to specifically address what the Grumet report said. He said that they cannot accomplish these things alone. He said that his view on equity is that the County funds every pupil at the same level. He also spoke in support of library services and the budget request for this. He said that the County Commissioners' resourcefulness and dedication to educational excellence remains unquestioned by him. He said that nowhere in North Carolina does there exist a school system of our size that receives the generous funding that Orange County receives. He believes the County Commissioners will continue this tradition. Ann Hill gave the County Commissioners the list of people that were outside in support of education. She asked for full funding for both school systems. She said that education affects everyone. She asked that education be kept the number one priority in the community. Schatzie Crowther spoke an behalf of full funding for the OCS school budget. She has been a volunteer at OCS for 17 years. She is president of the OHS PTSO. She said that the teachers and administrators have achieved success with limited resources. She thinks that Orange County is fortunate to have two excellent school