Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-03
Two Decline to RESIGN
On Fairfax School Board
BY MARY LOU WERNER

a new school poard received
jolt today as two school board
members announced they would
stick on the job until fired.
Mrs. Almorine Crowther and
Fred w. Robinson declared that
they had no intention OF resign
ing even though the Supervisors
from their districts proposed to
nominate new school board
members from those districts.
Mrs. Crowther, a member OF
the school board since l949, has
received a letter from the new
supervisor in her district. Rich
ard P. Ovenshine, stating that he
does not intend to re-nominate
her.
Stuart DeBell. supervisor in
Centreville district which Mr..
Robinson now represents on the
school board. has let it be known
that he does not intend to re-
appoint Mr.. Robinson. For more
than 20 years Mr.. Robinson has
been a member of the Fairfax
School Board. Both Mr.. Robin
son and Mrs. Crowther are
former board chairmen.
Their refusal to resign means
that it will take a majority vote
of the Board of County Super
visors to replace them.
Since 1852, school board mem
bers have been appointed by the
Board of County Supervisors in
Fairfax. 1t has been the custom
for the supervisor in each dis
trict to pick a school board
member from that district. This
has been a voluntary arrange
ment. as there is no requirement
that one school board member
come from each district. The
final word on each school board
appointment still rests with a
majority vote of the supervisors
School board members serve at
the will of the supervisors, and
have no definite term.
District Appointments Assumed
1t had been assumed that the
new Board of County Supervis-
ors would go along with the Gus
tom of school board appoint
ments by districts.
Mr.. Ovenshine. the new Re-
publican supervisor from Mount
Vernon District where Mrs.
Crowther lives. sent word that
he did not plan to renominate
her. She said she would stick
to her job until majority vote
Of the supervisors replaces her.
In his letter, Mr.. Ovenshine
told of sending letters to all
PTAs and civic groups in his dis
trict asking for suggestions.
I'm reply to that letter ! have
received many favorable COM
mentS regarding your services on
the school board" said Mr.. Oven
shine in his letter to Mrs. Crow
ther. Il have no doubt that
your service has been worthy Of
such concentrations. have also
received suggestions for the ap-
pointment of 20 other individuals,
several of whom have excellent
qualifications for services on the
school board. I have not yet de-
cided which individual to NOM
mate for service on the school
board but ! think ! should tell
you at this time that after care
fully considering your case and
the records Of several other in
dividuals. I have concluded that
I should nominate one Of the
others"
Selection Due Soon
He said he expected to an
nounce his new selection around
the middle of January, when he
expected the subject Of school
board appointments to come be-
fore the new Board Of Super
visors.
Mr.. Ovenshine would not dis
close how Mrs. Crowther Jared
in the poll. He said he had not
intended it as a popularity con-
test, but only as a sampling Of
opinion to be considered with
other factors.
Mrs. Crowther said she felt
sure she had Strong support from
PTA and civic groups. Mrs.
Crowther, a Democrat, suggested
that her party affiliation prob
ably influenced Mr.. Ovenshine.
When she first was appointed
to the school board under the
old school trustee appointment
system, Mrs. Crowther was re-
garded as the county's first
progressive" school board mem
Der representative Of the grow
ing PTA organizations in the
county.
Worked for Bond Issues
She worked for adequate
school construction bond issues
and higher teacher salaries.
Some school board members
laughed when she advocated $40
million for the first school con-
struction bond issue.
1t passed. So have two sue
ceeding issues. as Fairfax Coun-
tvs school system has more than
doubled in size.
Mr.. Ovenshine commended
Mrs. Crowther in his letter to
her, stating that he appreciated
1.-THE thoughtful service and hard
work that you have given to the
school board" He assured her
that his decision to nominate
someone else was not intended as
a reflection on that service, add
ing, II hope that our public
schools may continue to bene-
fit from your interest in them"
Two Offer designations
Two other School Board mem