Funding is Funding. Merger is Merger. Let's not confuse the two. It's time to put merger to rest and move on.

The steering committee believes that the discussion of possible merger should be objective and will strive to act accordingly.

The goals of a possible merger have not been stated.  It would be irresponsible to merge these systems without clear goals and without answering many of the questions which remain.

Many citizens against merger believe that the primary issue is funding, which these citizens believe should be more appropriately allocated over time as an alternative to merger.  Many other citizens against merger believe that the will of the voters should determine taxes,  believe that OCS is well-funded in comparison to most of the other school districts in the state, and would oppose major tax increases in a merged or unmerged system.  

It seems very clear that an overwhelming majority of Orange County citizens are against merger at this time.  We live in a representative democracy where large issues are considered via a referendum.  Many believe that possible merger should be put to a referendum.

Many citizens are frustrated that local media have given an overwhelming number of columns and letter-length exceptions to pro-merger points of view.  We appreciate the privilege of the media to take a position on merger in the editorial section and for columnists to express an opinion, however we also expect reasonable balance in the columns and letters to the editor (in number and length).  A search of the archives of local media will quickly show you how unbalanced the coverage has been.

Fact or fiction?

Points to ponder:

• In many parts of the country, localities push for a living wage.  For example, a city policeman would need to earn more to live in the district in which he or she serves than in the unincorporated areas. Should the same be true for city teachers?

• Some think that perhaps the southern part of district should be part of the city district to create a possibly more-appropriate division of the population into locally-served school districts.

• Will a larger school system be more responsive to parents and teachers than a smaller one?

• Will redistricting become the next battleground for people fighting for their kids not to be bused?  This is the reality in Mecklenburg, Wake, and other single-district NC counties.

• As Orange County develops, might multiple school districts be better than one large one?  Could Orange County be another Wake, Mecklenburg, or Durham County where many parents would give anything to have several, smaller districts?

• Will a merger fuel growth and development of the rural buffer?

• Will a merger negatively affect city property values?

The opinions expressed on this site are the opinions and copyright of the individuals who submitted the information.  

Material which is not clearly attributed may be attributed to "a supporter of NoMerger.org".  Copyright 2004, NoMerger.org.

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