Evening star., 1955-07-26
Integrote As Practical,
Study Group Suggests

oN~N/ O'S~l
I A fact-finding committee tc
study problems of desegratior
in Prince Georges County schools
last night advised the school
board to integrate students with
out regard to race "as soon as
Ipractivable in each school where
classroom facilities and other
conditions will permit
i The committees 28-page re.
port was released by the schoo!
board after a one-hour closed
session with committee repre-
Sentatives in the Bladensburg
High School.
4 Louis P. Eberle, who served
as the committees co-chairmar
with DR.. Russell L. ChildresS
said the. report had the unani,
nous approval of the Ii of the
groups total membership of 22
who were present at the final
planning session.
/ Asks Board Policy
The report also stated "a need
is felt for a prompt and clear
cut statement of policy by the
Board of Education regarding
desegration."
! school Supt. William S
Schmidt said the committee re-
port will not be adopted by the
board as official policy.
"The board will study the
recommendations and make its
own decisions he said, probably
at its next meeting on August
9 in Upper Marlboro.
The committe said it believe:
that a different rate of imple.
mentation of desegration" will
be necessary in different parts
OF the county because of a wide
variation of the concentration
iof Negro and white populations
and the availability of class
rooms.
In addition, the committee ad-
vised:
l. A re-eXamination of future
school building programs in line
with the boards desegregation
policy.
Closest School
2. Permitting students, ire
Spective of race to attend the
school closest to their homes in
Sofar as it is administratively
and economically possible.
3. Integration of teachers and
all other school personnel "strict-
ly on the basis of competence and
Iadaptability for particular as
sisnment." The report stated
school officials have pointed out
that there will be a need for all
qualified teachers available for
the county's expanding school
system.
! 4 Immediate formulation of
plans for a comprehensive pro-
gram of education in inter-group
relations for all school personnel
5. Organization as soon as pos
sible of a community education
program which would dissent
nate factual material for a better
understanding of the desegrega-
tion policy.
6. Recommendations from
principals after consultation with
parent and student groups as to
how social and after-school ac-
tivities of students also can be
desegregated.
Emphasis for Gifted
Z. Increased emphasis in in
struction for the gifted and
above-average pupil within a
program that fully provides for
the slow learner and average
student.
! 8. Adoption. as soon as, pos
sible. of an expanded health ed
ucation program in schools, al
though "there are no grounds for
fear of an increase in the spread
of communicable diseases among
white children in a desegregated
system"
| ut is obvious" the committee
reported, that availability of
classroom space will be a major
factor in determining where and
how fast desegration can take
place"
Despite a current building pro-
gram. Prince Georges school IA
cilities still have not caught UP
with increased enrolment.
45,613 Students
The report said Prince Georges
had 45.613 students at the end of
the last school term, of these.
39,638. or 86.9 per cent, we're
white and 5,975 or 1871 per cent
were non-white.
At the elementary level there
were 25,818 white students and
I3,847 non-whites. At the Sec
iondary level there were 1890
white students and 2,128 non-
whites.
A jump to total $4,000 is
expected in the school enroll
ment in September.
Transportation and redistrict-