Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-22

EOI IuU1S tLlh11 OU JCd1o Vi
States has approved the "sepa-
rate but equal" facility doc
trine.
Little Prince Edward County
in Southside Virginia, was
brought into Federal Court,
charged with failing to provide
equal high school facilities. The
Federal Court reaffirmed that
segregation was permissible, but
that Prince Edward County was
not providing equal facilities
The people in that community
then proceeded to build one OF
the finest Negro high schools in
the South.
They were then told, under
date of May II. 1854. by the SUI
preme Court that separate but
equal" facilities were no longer
the law, and that there could
not be segregation based on
race. This decision shook the
educational system to its very
foundations in many areas OF
Virginia.
SO Groups Gave Views
The Gray Commission APP
pointed by the Governor, was
presented with resolutions from
50 governing bodies that they
opposed indignation. Many
counties in Southside and East.
ern Virginia stated to the COM
mission that they would refuse
to appropriate local funds fol
education If indignation took
place.
Many groups urged upon the
commission that Section 129 Of
the State constitution, providing
for public school systems through.
out Virginia. be repealed: that nc
State funds be appropriated fol
integrated schools: that the com.
pulsory education law be re-
pealed. None of these proposals
was recommended by the Gray
Commission.
The Gray Commission plan il
a middle of-the-road approach
designed to preserve our public
school system and to prevent en-.
forced indignation. It provides
that the schools would open next
September with the pupils at
tending substantially the same
schools.
Any parent or guardian object
ing to the assignment could re-
quest transfer to a designated
school. The school board, ir
considering this request. would
not take race into consideration
but would consider availability
Of facilities. health, aptitude Of
the child and availability Of
transportation.
Court Review Provided
II the request is denied, ar
immediate review is available ir
the courts. This provides an op-
portunity for voluntary separa-
ton of the races with indignation
possible where members of both
races desire it.
The plan further contemplates
that if a child is assigned to an
integrated school and its parents
or guardian object, the School
Board may assign the pupil to
an unmixed school if one exists
II this is not done. the pupil
would be eligible for an educa-
tional grant in the amount Of
money which that locality is
spending for the child's educa-
ton.
Such a grant is made to the
parent and not to a private
school. just as tuition grants are
made by the Federal Govern
ment to veterans under the CT
Bill of Rights. The grant car
only be used in a private nonsec-
tartan school.
In other areas of the State il
the governing body refuses to
appropriate money for a public
school system and no such sys-
tenn exists, members of each
race would be eligible for schol-
arships from the State. limited
to the amount the State is con-
tributing per pupil to that COM
munity. This would not cost
any other community any money
Gives Parents Decision
1t would provide an orderly
assignment Of pupils with the
least impact on the races in
Northern Virginia and possibly
prevent the destruction of our
public school system in South
side and Eastern Virginia.
This plan gives to you. the
parents, the final decision as to
whether your child must attend
an integrated school. 1t re-
serves to you the right to de-
termine whether. under inte-
grated school conditions, the
education of your child is being
or retarded. 1t re-
serves to you the right under
changing conditions and in
creased indignation. to make the
final decision.
Unless you have available an
educational grant under these
conditions, 1t may be financially
impossible to give your child an
education except under condi-
tons which you believe are
harmful.
Should the constitutional con-
vention fail. not only would there
be inforced Indignation here, but
there will be no educational
grants from the State available
TO the Southside and Eastern Vir-
yinia communities. There will be
every inducement for those COM
nunities to refuse to appropriate
for public education. and
since some 80 to 90 per cent of