oh thank you for giving me a few minutes of your time my name is ed scott and i'll be on the ballot for the one year richmond school board position to be voted on november fourth as you know this new school board will only be created if the merger vote passes currently i live on west white hill my wife and daughter my daughter is an eighth grader camel sub and my wife commutes to brewington summer job at u v m i have worked my entire career as a teacher counselor administrator and coach in vermont and i'm very familiar  challenges facing vermont schools for two years before moving to berlin to match mn from burlington i served in the bronx and school board where i was able to contribute especially in curriculum and budgeting because of my knowledge of  i was able to find a quarter million dollars in cuts without sacrificing programs or teachers i support the proposed merger of the six elementary schools i've attended several informational meetings and i am aware of the issues in the tones of this worst case scenarios for example what if teachers are moved from school to school or one of the schools closed or the concern that membership on the new board will be weighted in favor of the larger towns and what if they vote against the interests of the smaller towns some of the concerns expressed could happen in the current just district configuration as well though unlikely and not planned at this time and are not unique to the proposed merger for perspective it's helpful to look at other districts with similar issues and burlington has resolved a similar issue regarding school boundaries and neighborhood schools the administration brewington propose a limiting boundaries and there were fairly recent kids will be shipped out send your own neighborhoods schools will be closed and that schools are lose their unique identities concerns similar in the merger issues eventually after many public means both vote board voted to eliminate the boundaries and this to th school choice in time the fears of the opponents proved to be unfounded and there was no negative impact on each neighborhood schools identity in the district similarly i believe that each school the new unified district would maintain its own identity and uniqueness and fears here would prove to be unfounded as well one other area of similarity and probably the strongest argument in favor of the merger is government governance this is been debated back and forth it seems to me logical that having essential services under one roof makes all the tasks of running the district easier and more efficient one superintendent one board one budget one vote cannot help but he's a burden currently on other districts as well as bring efficiency to the new union can really turn fiscal situation mentioned as a cautionary remark in the dissenting view is not a possibility in this merger because of the unique differences the many concerns the opponents are failing to consider that this district is currently a community working in harmony and if merging would be an even more effective and harmonious community setting it on a menu board meetings as well as merger information meetings i have witnessed courtesy and consideration from the administration for members of the public as well as from participating board members i'm confident that a new board in a unified district w here moved my family moved here from what the community has to offer as well as the excellent school system my eighth grade daughter's in her third year campbell saw and as a retired teacher in counsellor i can recognise the confidence and children certainly a single unified district would allow it to do its job even better i hope the community votes in favor of the merger and for me for the one your position on the proposed board well i would be able to contribute from my experience