Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-12
Private Schools
Aren' Rushed
In Racial Shift
Enrolment Demand
By District Pupils
FuiIs to MoteriuIize
By Harriet Griffiths


gated District public school
system hasn't materialized.
That conclusion summarizes
reports from some IS private
school officials In the Washing
ton area, not including the
Catholic parochial schools.
Some Of the school heads in
terviewed reported a furry Of
inquiries attributable to the
Supreme Courts decision in May
banning segregation In the pub
lie schools.
But, philosophical one: when
you are faced with $500 tuition,
plus transportation, you find
your prejudice isn't so great"
Business as Usual.
At any rate, on the basis Of
present enrollments, the private
schools for the most part report
business as usual or a little
better. What may happen after
public school classes are under
way is, of course, yet to be seen.
Enrolment frequently is strict
ly limited in the private schools,
anyway. And the cost Of tuition,
entrance requirements and in
some cases the problem of trans
portation are bound to keep away
some children who otherwise
might attend them.
Most of the schools surveyed
do not admit colored students.
although some say they never
have been faced directly with
the issue. But the question of
q change in racial policy Is re-
ceiving serious thought by sew
eral Of the school boards.
Parents Will Decide.
In the last analysis, it will be
the parents wishes which de-
eide the issue in the schools,
pointed out the head of a school
bureau which handles 80 private
schools in and out Of the WASH
ington area. They are the pa
irons of the schools, and in
many cases largely compose the
boards Of trustees.
IT don't think the children
themselves mind" she said.
AS yet without any colored
students, although it was an
nounced in October, 1852. that
Negro children would be ad-
mitted to its nursery classes, is
one fashionable elementary
school operated by a church
denomination here.
The school reported few ap-
plications for admission of col
ored children. The family Of a
Negro child who qualified for
admission this summer decided
against enrolling him.
Enrolment figures of three
other schools in the area operat-
ing on a non-segregated basis,
all of them comparatively
owned. show small proportion
Of colored students.
Slight Increase.
One, located in the District,
has been interracial for the
whole Of it's 10 years existence.
Its proportion of colored stu
dents has averaged about 8 per
cent. but this year and last
jumped to IS per cent, or "a stu
dents.
eve feel" reported an official
Of that school, I'VE have a mini
mum of applications from colored
people who want strictly an in
terracial setup. Our colored
students come to us because we
can serve them better with our
small classes and intensive per-
sonal attention"
He added that there had been
no dropping off Of colored stu
dents with the change in the
public school setup.
10 Colored Students.
Another Of the unsegregated
schools. in nearby Virginia,
changed its policy four years age
following a years study and dis
cussion by the parent body. Last
year, there were 10 colored stu
dents out of the 40.
IT think we have attracted
more people as a result of the
open policy" said its direcsor
although it is hard to tell how
many did not come because # 1t
But a number of families have
said they were particularly in
terested in the school because OF
its policy"
The third school. In nearby
Maryland, has had an open
policy for the last several years
of its 20-year existence. Less
than 20 of its approximately 10C
students are colored.
1--WE feel that this is an expert
ence we have had to offer that
up to now has been unique in
this part of the country" said ar
official Of the school. 1--WE fee
that we draw people because