Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Susan L. Cheng <br /> 2817 Meacham Rd . <br /> Chapel Hill , NC 27516 <br /> March 11 , 1995 <br /> Dear Mr. Carey, <br /> I live in the Chapel Hill school district and currently <br /> have a daughter in the second grade at Frank Porter Graham <br /> Elementary. I also have two younger daughters who will <br /> attend the Chapel Hill schools in the future. I am growing <br /> increasingly concerned about the quality of the education <br /> they will receive. <br /> In the coming school year, the principal at FPG has <br /> told the parents, the school will face the loss of rooms now <br /> used to establish a base for the music, art, and science lab <br /> programs, as they are needed to provide classroom space. <br /> The school is already overcrowded. As a parent, I want to <br /> know where this will stop. We can apparently do nothing to <br /> control the growth in our town, but as that growth occurs, <br /> it is imperative that we protect the quality of life for all <br /> of us . <br /> When I look at my life, and I am the product of the <br /> public education system in the state of Virginia, I value <br /> the basic education I received in math, science, reading. I <br /> also treasure the exposure and appreciation I received for <br /> art, music, and physical pursuits . We cannot afford to <br /> sacrifice these as "extras" . We also cannot afford to <br /> continue to make the job that our teachers face more and <br /> more difficult. At FPG there are two toilets to serve over <br /> 50 staff, some teachers do not have time to eat lunch, and <br /> the students begin eating lunch at 10: 30 a.m. , so that there <br /> is time for all classes to eat . I fear that these will be - <br /> "the good old days" in the next few years as overcrowding <br /> worsens, and the system is even further strained . <br /> I am not even sure which of the following points are <br /> under your jurisdiction, but I want to say that I support <br /> increasing the one time tax on new homes to require that new <br /> residents help to pay for the increasing demands they place <br /> on our systems; that I fervently believe that wholistic city <br /> planning is crucial to the continued success of our <br /> education system, and that it should include requirement <br /> that large developments such as Southern Village and <br /> Meadowmont build or help to fund new schools, or be denied <br /> their applications; and finally, that I am willing to pay <br /> higher taxes to support this investment in our collective <br /> future. <br /> Thank you for your work in keeping the quality of life <br /> in Chapel Hill high. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Susan L. Chen <br />