Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-16

AtNt9 yVtSto WV 9SSs8S WNSstSt ~
omend their Stote constitution, The
Stor will explore the issue from oil
sides. This is the third Of o series
deelins with the Groy Commissions
recommendations.
could be carried to the State
Supreme Court.
The commissions second rec
ommendation is listed without
further discussion in the re-
port. It says plainly:
"That no child be required to
attend an integrated school"
Teacher Assignment Law
The law would be made more
clear that no local school board
be. required to furnish trans
portation for pupils.
Changes would be made In
the law relating to the assign
ment Of teachers. School boards
would be given final authority
for these assignments.
Localities would be authorized
to raise funds, through levies
against property subject to local
taxation to be spent "for educa-
tional purposes" They would
be empowered to receive and
spend State grants for the same
purposes.
That is the recommendation
that would implement the
changes contemplated in Section
14l which bars payments to
private schools. In effect, 1t
would set UP machinery for
raising funds for tuition grants
in private schools where the
public education system might
be abolished by the local gov
erning body. It also would pro-
vide the money for children who
refuse to attend integrated pub
lie schools.
Tuition Grant Provision
Another point in the Gray
program would require schoo
budgets to contain amounts fol
payment Of tuition grants. Tit
commission says:
This would be companion
Legislation to that dealing with
the assignment of pupils and
compulsory education. 1t would
be designed to further prevent
enforced indignation by provid-
ling for the payment Of tuition
grants for the education Of those
children whose parents object to
their attendance at mixed
schools. Without such a meas
ure, enforced indignation could
not be effectively avoided since
many parents would then be
required to choose integrated
schools -"
The amount Of the grant for
each child could not exceed the
total cost for educating each
pupil in average daily attend
ance in a particular locality
during the preceding school
year. The school board would
have discretion in providing for
transportation Of those who
qualify for tuition grants.
The State would reimburse
any locality one-half the addi-
tional expenses it might incur in
payment Of tuition grants.
School boards would be per-
mitted to transfer funds within
their operating budgets to meet
tuition grant demands not pre-
viously anticipated without the
approval of the county boards
of supervisors or city councils,
which are the tax-levying bodies.
Provide Teacher Retirement
Employment Of legal counsel
by local school boards to defend
their actions would be author
lied.
Teachers would remain under
the State retirement act, even If
they entered private schools
organized after enactment of the
program. The report says:
THE purpose Of this is to pro-
tect the retirement status of
those public school teachers who
many hereafter desire to teach
in private schools that are estab-
lished because of the decision in
the school segregation cases !"
The State attorney generals
office would gain added authority
to give legal assistance to local
school boards.
Final recommendation would
permit - but not require - local
school boards to maintain public
schools for at least nine months.
The commission says. "A locality
may be confronted with an
emergency situation"
The next article i'm this series
will appear Sunday. II will
deal with the problem Of what
would happen II voters turn
down the proposal to amend
Section 141 Of the State Con-
stitutiOn.