Evening star., 1954-05-18
Nearby School Officials Look
To State Leaders for Guidance

/ mentary schools and one junior
senior high school for colored
students.
George M. Richardson. prin-
cipal Of the high school
Hoffman, Boston, said that be-
cause Of limited enrolment in
senior high school-only 11O
StudentS-Some courses taught
at the white high schools are not
available at Hoffman, Boston.
Hoffman-Boston, a new building
opened less than two years ago
near Shirley highway. has the
basic facilities of the white high
schools. but fewer students are
in pre-college courses.
The School Board chairman,
Mrs. Elizabeth Campbell, said
the board and school admins
tration soon will set up commit
tees Of both races to study
future plans.
ALEXANDRIA.
Alexandria School Supt. T. C.
Williams said the School Board
can take no action until it
hears from the State School
Board. He said the only logical
way of integrating schools would
be to establish geographical
boundaries around schools, and
have children attend the school
in their area.
This system poses a problem
for high school districting, how
ever. since the white and Negro
high schools are only about six
blocks apart.
Colored students form about
13 per cent of the Alexandria
school population, the highest
proportion in nearby Virginia
communities. There are about
$500 white students and about
400 colored.
The city has one white high
school, one Negro high school,
10 white grade schools and two
Negro grade schools. Officials
expect that most colored chill
dren will continue to attend the
schools located in predomi-
nantly colored areas.
FAIRFAX COUNTY.
As in other nearby Virginia
areas. Fairfax officials expect
no action to. change present
school attendance patterns until
word is received from the State
Board Of Education.
School Board Member Fred
w. Robinson and Supt. w. T.
Woodson agreed that the schools
for colored children in Fairfax
County are better than those
for white students. A new
100000 high school for Negro
students is nearing completion
at Merrifield.
About Z per cent OF Fairfax
students are colored. The coun-
ty has about 23.3O0 white stu
dents and about 1.700 colored.
Mr.. Robinson said he expected
the adjustment would be easier
than many people had predicted.
Mr.. Woodson said most Of
the county's colored schools are
located in colored communities.
Chairman Comments.
Mrs. H. c. Crowther, chairman
of the School Board. said she be-
lieved there will be no serious
problem in Fairfax as a result
of the court decision. She said
no action will be taken until
word is received from Richmond.
but she added it probably will
be a simple matter to start send
ing children to the schools near
est their homes.
Mr.. Woodson said he will re-
fuse admission to any colored
student presenting himself at a
white school until instructions
are received from the State
Board of Education.
FALLS CHURCH.
Supt. Irwin H. Schmitt said
nothing will be done to integrate
Falls Church students until the
State Board Of Education makes
an announcement.
Falls Church has no colored
schools. The city's Is colored
students attend elementary
school in Fairfax County and
high schools Of their choice in
Washington. Arlington or Ma
nassas. The city pays their
tuition.
Falls Church has about 1900
white students, about SO per cent
of all children in the city at
tending school.
Mr.. Schmitt said the colored
children could be absorbed easily
into the city school system.