Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-02

Corning Asks
Teamwork for
Desegregdtion
Urges Principals
To Have Patience;
Lists New Rules
By jones G. Deone

School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing today appealed to the Dis
trict public school principals
and officials for cooperation and
patience in launching racial de-
segregation.
DR.. Corning told a meeting of
the school officials that integra-
ton will be a complicated proc
ess. But, praising the spirit
which has been displayed in the
school system so far. he told his
subordinates:
'Integration should be to all
Of us, great challenge because
Of the magniture of the job and
because here in the Nations
Capital we are making history %
The superintendent, in the
session at Roosevelt High School,
also announced some new points
OF school system policy regard
ing desegregation which is
slated to be launched with the
opening Of the new school year
one week from next Monday.
New Rules Listed.
These new rules are:
1. Newly entering pupils who
were not enrolled in the Dis
trict's school system last year,
but who were enrolled in some
earlier year, will be governed
by the new non-racial school
boundaries.
2. Hardship transfers from one
school to another will be con-
sidered by a newly-created BIZ
racial committee, which will
screen requests forwarded by
principals from parents.
8. Schools will continue this
fall to count enrolment by race,
but principals will not be per-
mitted to disclose racial ratios.
WiIla Speed Process.
The first of the new rules will
have the effect of speeding up
the process of indignation some
what. Until today, desegregation
this fall has been scheduled to
apply to pupils entering the Dis
trict's schools for the first time.
ALI such pupils are to be re-
quired to enter schools in the
new integrated zones, without
regard to race.
All pupils already enrolled,
however. are slated to remain
in present schools except where
there is hardship or overcrowd-
ing. Under today's policy an
nouncement, a pupil who did not
attend school here last year will
be. considered a brand-new pupil
even II he attended a District
puplic school in some prior year.
Many Transfer Requests.
In connection with the second
new rule, DR.. Corning said that
the school system has received
quite a number of written re-
quests from parents for special
transfers of children to schools
nearer their homes.
The procedure for handling
such cases. he said, will be as
follows:
The parent must apply in
writing at the school attended
by the child last year. The prin-
cipal will forward the written
request to school headquarters.
The request will be screened by
the new special committee, of
which four members are white
and four are colored. The COM
mittee will return its decision to
the principal, who then will issue
q transfer slip if the committee
has ruled favorably.
Similar Procedure.
A somewhat similar procedure
will be followed, DR.. Corning
said, in the case Of pupils who
present themselves at a school
to which they have not been
transferred. In such a case, the
parents will be referred to the
assigned school, and the prin-
cipal will refer the request to
Franklin Administration Build
ing. The pupil, meanwhile, must
attend the assigned school until
the case is decided.
DR.. Corning predicted that
there might be considerable
number of such pupils seeking
transfer to unassigned schools.
Such transfers will be allowed
where circumstances warrant.
but not necessarily before next
February or even September,
1855, the superintendent said.
DR.. Corning announced that
schools will be dismissed at 1875
on opening day because Of the
extra work associated with the
reorganization.
Sees Many Questions.
He said there NAV be a good
many questions arising and that
controversial ones should be re-
ferred to his Office or those OF
his aides at Franklin School.
The superintendent-in a ref
erence to the pending law suit
Nof the Federation Of Citizens
Associations seeking to halt de-
segregation - declared that the
schools have q perfect legal right
and responsibility to proceed as
rapidly as possible with inte-
grafton.
On the matter Of reporting
enrolment by race, DR.. Corning
explained that the law requires
such information. The Board Of
Education is seeking to have the
law changed. but this effort has
run into some opposition from
city officials, it was reported
including the Police Department
Principals will be required this
fall to report their enrollments
by race to the school attendance
department, but DR.. Corning
said that these figures will not