COMMUNITY SCHOOLS – SOS – PRESS RELEASE

Hearing Set for Federal Court On March 14, 2006 - Save Our Schools Celebrates

Windsor, NC - 3/06/2006 – SOS celebrated last Thursday as they announced over 3000 petitions in house and the announcement that Judge Boyle has scheduled a hearing on the case at 2 PM Tuesday March 14, 2006. The group reported that the judge has not signed the consent decree received from the Board of Education and Department of Justice that would close two schools in Bertie County under a federal court order.

The group announces their next meeting will be in the federal court house in Elizabeth City on March 14th. Everyone should meet at the court house steps at 1 PM that day. It will take some time clear security and witness what may be a historic day for a new beginning in education for Bertie County. No colors, signs, or slogans should be brought to the court house.

The group plans to take all petitions turned in since our last filing to Raleigh on Thursday of this week. All petitions turned in to the Windsor Farm Bureau office by 2 PM Wednesday will be included in the case record.

Update 3/9/2006 6 PM - The final count of petition signatures filed with the Federal Court in Raleigh this morning was 3337.