Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-02
Race Bar Down
In Post Schools
AT Fort BeIyoir
To Reopen Tuesday
Fully lntegruted;
Fairfax Unchanged
By Hector Mclean

Full racial lntegratlon VIII be
in effect at Fort Belvoir public
schools when the big Army En-
gineer Corps post in Virginia
opens its own elementary educa-
tional system next Tuesday.
Public schools subject to the
States jurisdiction. however,
are reopening on the traditional
segregated basis. Unlike the
District, Virginia Is making no
effort to comply with the recent
decision by the Supreme Court
ruling segregation unconstitu-
tional until that tribunal says
how and when the practice
should be ended.
Until last June, Fort Belvoir,
which has population of nearly
Is, 900, military and civilian, de-
pended on Fairfax County to
educate the children Of families
who live on the post.
Under that setup. the county
leased the two regular school
buildings on the post--built in
1884 and 1953-and provided the
teachers, books and maintenance
to handle It's white pupils.
Fifty-six Negro pupils were sent
to the county's Drew Smith
school for colored children in
Gum Springs. Va.
Paid for by u. s.
The money to finance all this
was paid to the county by the
United States Office of Educa-
ton, an agency of the Depart
ment of Health, Education and
Welfare, under Public Law 874.
Everything started to change
last February l, however, when
it was announced Secretary OF
Defense Wilson had ordered all
armed forces to wipe out racial
segregation in ION post" schools
by September /, 1855.
Still waiting grimly for the
historic school decision by the
Supreme Court, which finally
came last May II. the Fairfax
County School Board on February
2, decided to end its connection
with Fort Belvoir at the end Of
the school year last June.
The board said only that 1t
had no alternative. since the
Virginia State constitution for
bids mixing white and eolored
children in the same school. It
offered no explanation Of why it
acted a year before the effective
date of MIR. Wilson's order.
It was noted. though, that the
move saved an estimated $40, 1886
the county expected to have to
pay to operate the Belvoir school
above the Office Of Education
grant-for next year.
Own System Set Up.
Immediately. then. Fort Bel
voir authorities began setting up
their own school system. Under
an agreement with Fairfax off,
Gals, the county will accept nc
pupils from Belveir unless the
post school officer, 1st 1t. Edwin
r. Breed, certifies the post has
no facilities for them.
Thus, some 100 white pupils
are to attend Mt. Vernon High
School, and about 80 Negro
pupils will go to the Manassas
Regional High School, which
serves Alexandria and Fairfax
and Prince William Counties.
All elementary school children
first grade through the seventh
will attend classes on the post,
and Principal William Vans
Jackson says even the records
won't show what their race Is.
Indignation, however, should
be no shock at Fort Belvoir.
Race distinctions were wiped out
some time ago on the adult level
under military discipline on
presidential orders.
White and colored soldiers
train together, march together
and live together in barracks.
If they live with their families
on post, their next-door neigh
bors may be of the opposite race.
Integrated Recreation.
And, says 1t. Breeds predeces-
sor as school officer. LIST 1t.
Frank Pezzuli. who was recently
transferred to Fort Benning, the
ice was broken at the children's
level this summer in q racially
integrated recreation program.
which was sponsored by the
post PTA with funds from the
Fairfax County Recreation Fund.
a Community Chest agency.
More than 200 children were in
volved in the five-week program
at two Fairgrounds.
The experiment. 1t. Pezzoun
says, was excellent.
"There were absolutely no
incidents, and I feel 1t was the
best ice-breaker there could pos
sibly be-" he said.
Anticipated enrolment is 875
an increase of about 100 over the
total of white and colored chill
dren last year.
Last year there were 10 teach
ers, one principal. three janitors,
half time librarian, one secre-
tary, one cafeteria manager, two
cooks and q part-time kitchen
helper.
This year there win be q
teachers lone of them desig.
mated as head teacher. prin-
cipal and one assistant. two sec
retaries, q cafeteria manager and
three cooks. four janitors anc
one librarian.
The anticipated teacher-pupf
ratio is 80, as compared to 37.t
last year.