Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-06
EnIiqhtens Virginia


November 81. entitled School
Setup Battles Old-line Demo-
Gratis" brings UP some very
interesting points about Viz
ginia'S county school boards.
There are in existence today
in Virginia three different
methods OF selecting county
school boards. Mr.. Preston
mentions only two of these.
One Is the old method, still
prevalent in most Of the Com
monwealth. where the school
board is far removed from the
people. The school board is
appointed for a term by a
school trustee electoral board.
which is appointed by the cir
cult judge, who is appointed
by the majority caucus OF the
General Assembly. which is
elected by the people. This is
the school board which Mr..
Preston says battles old-line
Democrat" for fear 1t will not
react to the peoples wish to
continue segregation in the
schools at any cost.
The second type Of county
school board in existence in
Virginia is the elected school
board, which only Arlington
County has. This form Of
school board selection was Sc
cured for Arlington because OF
public reaction to the old form.
It undoubtedly Is infinitely
better than what had existed.
but it has its shortcomings.
A school board. unless 1t has
the taxing power. can move
ahead no faster than the gov
erning body Is willing. The
separate election OF the two
boards is very likely to cause
conflict. and has done so in
Arlington. On the other hand.
it is not advisable to put the
taxing power in the hands Of
the school board. The taxing
power in the hands of Doth
the school board and the
county board could cause an
intolerable financial situation
from the standpoint Of the
taxpayer.
! wish to call attention to
the fact that there is also in
existence In Virginia another
method OF selecting school
boards. This method, that of
appointment of county school
boards by the local governing
body to serve at the pleasure
OF that body, is available to
any county In the Common
wealth under Virginia's OPP
tional Forms Act. Under this
method of selection. the school
board is directly responsible to
the elected county board. The
two boards must of necessity
work very closely together on
budget and financial matters.
There Is only one taxing au-
thority. The school needs,
which represent over go per
cent Of the total county budget
in a county like Fairfax. are
analysed, as. they should be.
In relation to all other county
needs.
The school board handles
the many details OF school ad-
ministration. but 1t is not
likely to make far reaching
policy decisions which are in
conflict with the thinning of
the appointing body. the
elected board of county SUI
pervisors.
The Optional Forms Act.
put on Virginia's statute books
in 1882. under the auspices of
Gov. Harry Flood Byrd, is
model county government leg
lslation. In spite of this, only
four counties in the Common
wealth (Albemarle. Henrico,
Warwick and Fairfax have
adopted an Optional form" of
county government.
One of these counties, War
wick, has since become a city
in order to protect itself from
Virginia's unreasonable an
nexation laws. Other coun-
ties. including the Byrd Ma
chine" stronghold, Princess
Anne County. have considered
making the change. bit III
each case 1t has been beaten
down by the local Byrd Ma
chine lieutenants, who seem
to have feared the control of
the people--up to now This
group. led by former State
Senator Andrew w. Clarke,
were the opponents to Fair
fax County's successful effort
to adopt an optional form"
Of county government in 1850
Because of their efforts, Fair
fax was forced to compromise
on the less desirable, for an
urban county. Of the two OPP
tional forms. The county ex-
eriitiya rather than tina rnliyn