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BOOK 8 PAG[ 186 <br />the preceding Thursday, came from his personal willingness to accept a <br />proposal but that he was speaking for himself and not the entire County <br />Board. That on the following Friday, a majority of his Board did not <br />accept the idea of submitting the question of merger to an election but wanted an <br />administrative merger. <br />Commissioner Franklin D. Wicker stated that the members of <br />the Board of Commissioners represented the entire County and that there was <br />a need to equalize the opportunity for high school students throughout the <br />County and he thought this could best be met by a merge system which re- <br />presented the entire County in the same fashion that the Commissioners did. <br />Mr. Dalrymple said that he thought that since the start of the discussion <br />about merger that both School Boards had revamped their thinking to do first <br />things first and that they have made progress. Commissioner Franklin D. <br />Wicker stated he thought the most pressing need right now was for a high <br />school which would fit into the operation of a merge system and that there <br />was State funds available for such purposes. Commissioner Hal L. Hancock <br />stated that some students in rural areas have to go to Sanford Central to <br />be able to enter college, and stated that his desire was for a merge system <br />which would have equal opportunities for all, with no less quality than the <br />present system in the Sanford City Board of Education. <br />Commissioner William H. Cooper made the observation that <br />a mutually agreed on merger would enhance the process for passing a bond <br />issue for school construction. <br />Chairman J. R. Ingram stated that he thought that the use of the <br />term "we" or "us" or "they" creates friction in discussing planning for county- <br />wide projects and that there was no way anyone could guarantee representation <br />on any future board. <br />Chairman Robert Dalrymple stated he felt that an early election <br />of members of the School Board with a domination of the membership of <br />persons from Sanford would adversely effect any subsequent bond issue. <br />Chairman Gordon Wicker stated that when merger was brought up, <br />the talk used to center around bond issues and now that it is centered around <br />composition of the School Board and that he sees nothing wrong with the <br />continued membership of the two present boards with an at-large election by <br />1978. <br />Mr. J. Mack Auman, Vice Chairman of the Sanford City School <br />Board, spoke and said that while he is for merger and has been for it, he <br />thinks it should be voted on by the people; otherwise, he feels the people will <br />resent having the change forced upon them and that such resentment will be <br />expressed in subsequent bond issues. <br />Chairman Wicker, Commissioner Franklin D. Wicker, and <br />Commissioner Hancock, all thanked Mr. Auman for attending and expressing his <br />views on the matter. <br />Commissioner J. Eugene Rogers said he felt the pressing need <br />now is for a second high school and thinks that a vote by the people is not <br />bad. <br />Commissioner Hancock stated he felt that both Superintendents should <br />resign and perhaps both school boards should resign and an entirely new board <br />be selected. He reiterated that the pressing need was for equalization of <br />l <br />