Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-04
School Boards
Definite Terms
Meet Setback
Fuirfox Supervisors
Voice Objections to
Four Tenure


Board today stood on opposite
sides of plan to establish def
mite terms for School Board
members.
Anxious to retain unrestricted
appointive power over the School
Board, a majority of the super
visors yesterday expressed OPPOSE
ton to pending legislation that
would establish staggered four
year terms for School Board
members in counties governed
by the county executive form
Of government.
The School Board on Tuesday,
went on record in favor of the
plan.
School Board members now
serve at the will Of the super
visors. No definite term is spe-
Gifted when they are appointed.
The plan to establish tenure for
School Board members origi-
mated elsewhere in Virginia and
the pending legislation was called
to the county School Boards at
tention.
Ask Assembly Defeat.
The supervisors decided to
send letters to the county's rep
resentatives in the General As
sembly, urging them to vote
against the measure.
II feel the people voted for the
county executive form of gov
eminent the way it is" said
Supervisor Maurice Fox. There
shouldn't be any major change
without another vote"
Mrs. Anne wilkins agreed. She
said the School Board tenure
plan would violate one major
purpose Of county executive gov
eminent.
Members of the School Board
had reasoned that the entire
Board of Supervisors might
change hands in one election,
and the new supervisors might
want to appoint new School
Board. The School Board thought
it unwise for the school admin
istration to have a complete
change Of hands at one time.
Mrs. Wilkins said she feels
it would be an indication the
voters wanted new School
Board, If a new Board of Super
visors was voted into Office.
Further Efforts in Doubt.
Mrs. H. C. Crowther. chair
man Of the School Board. said
she doubts that the School Board
will pursue the tenure plan
further. in view of the super
visors' sentiments.
In another move for close con-
troll over school operations. the
supervisors asked Common
wealth's Attorney Hugh Marsh
to investigate legality of placing
all school construction and
maintenance under the county
Department of Public Works.
The school board now handles
its own construction and main
tenance. 1t employs a full-time
director Of construction to SUI
pervise building programs.
The supervisors went along
with the school board on an
other matter. They asked Mr..
Marsh to study the legality of
! imposing $3.50 school tax on
each new house constructed in
the county. This was recon-
mended by the school board
Tuesday.
Setback on Shirley Adopted.
A 100-foot setback line was
adopted for all future construc-
ton along Shirley highway,
except industrial construction
which must be set back ITO feet
Previously. the setback re-
quirements ranged from 35 feet
for some types of residences to
ITO feet for commercial and in
dustrial buildings.
While the new policy requires
longer Setbacks for residences, il
permits commercial buildings to
move up from ITO to 100 feet OF
the highway right-of-way.
AS soon as the new setback
policy was adopted. the super
vlSorS approved commercial zon-
ing OF a small tract 100 feet of
Shirley Highway at Edsall road
The Northern Virginia Construc.
ton Co. proposes to put an Office
building on the property.
On motion of Supervisor
Arthur Shaffer, the supervisors
voted to ask relocation of a new
State Highway Department
maintenance yard at Franconia
A delegation of residents from
the Franconia area, represented
by Andrew w. Clarke, protested
that the maintenance yard was
in the midst of a residential
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