Evening star., 1954-05-18
Court Ruling 10 Slow
Virginia S Building
OF New Schools
Dy The Asseeiaisd Press

RICHMOND. Va. May 18.-
The first major effect Of the
Supreme Courts anti-segregation
decision in Virginia probably will
be q slow-up in construction of
new schools.
State education oficials indi-
Gated plans for new schools may
have to be revised in the light
Of the ruling knocking out the
South's traditional laws of sepa-
rate white and Negro facilities.
Such things as location and
size Of the buildings win have
to be reconsidered in imple-
menting plans now in the works,
officials said.
But before any plans can be
carried to ultimate fruition, the
State must chart q new public
school policy. Gov. Stanley
moved to do this yesterday when
he announced he would call a
conference Of local and State
governmental leaders next week
to consider the effect Of the
courts decision.
Two Possibilities Cited.
Basically. the State faces two
possibilities:
/. All public schools could be
turned open to white and Negro
pupils eventually.
2. A lease arrangement might
be instituted whereby schools
were turned over to private or
ganizationS, which would operate
them under the present segre-
gated plan.
The aforementioned possibility
has received little mention in
Virginia. although it is seriously
being considered in South Caro-
lima. Georgia and Mississippi.
The mechanics Of a lease opera
ton have never been worked out
fully and some Government of
f1cialS have expressed doubt that
such a plan could be effected.
Should all schools be opened
to both races, it would be up to
local school boards to establish
attendance districts to determine
which pupils would attend which
schools. Education officials
pointed out that attendance dis
tricts in cities would likely be
such that many Negro pupils
would continue going to their
present schools. Similarly. most
white pupils would remain in
their present schools. The rea-
soning here was that attendance
districts would be formed on the
basis Of various neighborhoods.
and since most white schools are
in white neighborhoods, and Ne
gro schools in Negro neighbor-
hoods, integration would have
little effect.
Rural Areas Hit.
But the officials said it would
be a different story in the coun-
ties where the races often occuply
the same territory. They said
there would be little likelihood
OF getting around integration in
rural areas.
Gov. Stanley. in calling the
meeting for next week, said he
wanted to get the ideas of vari-
Gus governmental leaders to find
out what policy Virginia should
pursue in solving the problems
thrust upon the State by the
courts decision.
Il am sure the people of Vir-
sinia. and their elected repre-
sentatlves, can find the right
solution" said the governor, who
urged Virginians to take a calm,
considerate view of the courts
ruling. In so doing. the goyer-
nor made it plain that he in
tended to pursue a cautious
course in plotting the States
position.
He said he did not plan to
call a special asession of the
legislature at this time, pre-
ferring to wait until we have
further information"
But it seems certain a special
session will have to be called at
a future date, inasmuch as the
courts ruling runs smack into a
provision Of the State conStitu-
tion which declares that Virginia
shall maintain separate schools
for the races. It will be up to the
legislature to revise this section
to bring Virginia law into con-
formity with the courts ruling.
172,4SO Negro Children.
According to the 1850 census.
Virginia had 497,152 white chill
dren between the ages Of seven
and 10. The Negro total was
172 .480. ......
The census Of 1850 showed
that the Negro school population
outnumbered the white pupils in
81 counties.
These counties were Amelia,
Brunswick. Caroline. Charles
City. Charlotte, Cumberland,
Dinwiddie. Essex, Goochland,
Greensville, Isle of Wight, James
City. King and Queen and King