From Florence J. Owen:

Hello and this is my question: "Why are so many "LOBBYISTS" interested in controlling the Orange County School Board???? " What possible interest could US Sugar or Disney have???? Is this answerable????

Thank your for your input. Your question addresses the core of the problem. It is my opinion (and that of many others) that the state-mandated school concurrency legislation (April 2008) makes all developers and large landowners very nervous about their ability to develop subdivisions without the approval and support of school boards. For years, we had water concurrency, road concurrency, etc. but not school concurrency. What does that mean? It means that - finally - developments can't be approved without schools for the area being funding and in the plans. In the past, developers could build subdivisions with no school availability. It's a land use/growth issue. The developers don't want to be told NO, there is no money for a school in that rural area. As a parent, I think that schools to enable growth should be WAY DOWN the priority list, right after teachers and other basic funding for the schools we have. (Kit Pepper)