Board Members and Superintendent,
 
I have been talking recently with a member of the Transportation Committee, assigned by the board,  and I am hearing some incredible information about the budget in that area.  Being an Orange County Employee myself, I know that our department was asked to make across the board budget cuts and I believe it was done.  The Transportation Committee member I talked to informed me of many, many areas of the transportation budget that were not cut, and instead increased dramatically.  One  example is a huge increase for furniture, an increase large enough to almost fund the junior high sports that were cut.  I hope I am wrong about this and other information I am getting.  I am also being told that it is very obvious that at least one board member that voted originally to flip the times is trying very hard to influence other Transportation Committee Members to reverse the most recent action of the board to go back to the original high school and junior high times. 
 
I knew there would be tremendous waste in the transportation budget and I am looking forward to checking into this more and sharing it with other parents (and press) who are concerned about waste and inefficiencies in our school budget.  I ask that you please look into these areas where real cuts can be made and leave our teachers, athletics and school schedules alone.  If you continue to turn over these stones, and ACTUALLY LOOK under them, you will find many of the cuts you are looking for.
 
Respectfully,
 
Paul Hamel