Evening star., 1953-06-30
School Projects
Face Shutdown
In Arlington
Green's Suit Blamed
For StoIIing Sale Of
Bids on Bond Issue

Bids on Bond Issue
Renewed litigation over Fed
eral employees serving on the Ar
lington School Board threatens
to shut dcwn all new school con-
struction in the county and re-
quire halliday shifts for 5000
students.
This was announced by the
School Board yesterday after it
was unable to sell $2.8 million in
bonds to meet school construc-
ton bills.
DR.. Barnard Joy. School Board
chairman, said there was no
money to pay contractors on nine
current projects without sale of
the bonds. Bills already amount
to more than 100000. said DR..
Joy, and more are expected
within a week.
1--WE don't know what else the
builders can do but discontinue
work." said DR.. Joy.
COnfers With Builders.
The School Board held a hasty
conference with builders and
architects after the bond sale
fell through. A School Board
spokesman announced after
ward that the builders were not
able to state Immediately what
they would do. Most said they
would have to talk to subcon-
tractors and material supplierS
before reaching decision.
The current school projects
that might be interrupted are
Wakefield, Bancroft. Page, Taylor.
jamestown, Langston, Fillmore,
and remodeling jobs at Monroe
and Maurey.
DR.. Joy said the situation
might throw 500 construction
workmen out of jobs. He said
the School Board had counted
on completion of these projects
for the beginning of the fall
term. If they are not ready, he
said, about 5000 students-or
one-third of the total enrolment
will have to go on half-day
shifts.
Bonds Stalled by Fight.
The School Board was unable
to sell the bonds because .Attor-
ney John Locke Green again has
taken up his fight against three
Federal employees serving on the
county School Board.
Mr.. Green last week filed a
petition with the Virginia Su-
preme Court requesting a new
hearing of his suit to oust three
Arlington school board members
because they are Federal en-
ployes. The Supreme Court on
June 8 had ruled that the Fed
eral employees could serve, revers-
ing an earlier decision of Arling-
ton Circuit Court that they could
not.
This new action made it i'm
possible for the Arlington School
Board to sell the bonds yester-
day because the only bidder re-
quired delivery of the bonds by
July IS with an accompanying
certificate of no litigation. The
school board said it's bond at
torneys advised that the bid
could not be accepted under this
condition.
The school board said Mr..
Green knew when he filed the
rehearing petition that it could
not be heard until the Supreme
Court reconvenes in September,
and was informed that his ac-
ton might discourage all bids
on bonds.
To Study Legal Action.
The school board voted to
employ Attorneys James Sim
mondS and ArmiStead Boothe
ito consider such action as may
be necessary to recover $2.8 mil
lion and any other damages
suffered by the Arlington County
schools"
"Some way must be found to
prevent lawsuits designed merely
to block the will of the people,"
said DR.. Joy.
Mr.. Green was calm when re-
porters told him the school board
was thinking of suing him.
"The law allowed me to do
what I did, I abided by all the
rules of the court" he declared.
Mr.. Green added that the
prospect of halting school con-
struction didn't concern him.
they're running the schools.
I'm not:"
He suggested a remedy for
the situation:
II know they are highly pa
triotic people. Unless they think
they are the only people in
Arlington County who can run
the schools. they know what they
can do"
If the three Federal employees
on the Arlington School Board
did resign, Mr.. Green said there
no longer would be any contro-
versy before the courts.