Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-18
Separate but Unequal

U
All during the hearings Of
the Davis Subcommittee in
vestigating Washington's pub
lie schools, frequent reference
was made to the equality of
per capita allowances for text
books and supplies between the
two segregated divisions of the
school system before Septem-
Der. 1854. This is a half-truth
that requires some explana-
ton. Funds were appropriated
for the two divisions for these
purposes by the use of an
identical formula. However,
money was not expended at
identical rates.
This is how things really
worked out. Some years ago
/ don't know exactly when
the late Adelbert Heinmiller,
then budget officer of the pub
lie schools, and Walter L. Fow-
Ter, budget officer of the Dis
trict of Columbia, entered into
an informal agreement regard
ing practices to be followed
in drafting budget requests for
the public schools. This had
no statutory authorization, but
was a budgeting convenience.
Items were not to be based on
estimated school population
during the school year that
the funds were to be used. In
stead. they were to be COM
puted on the basis of the &C
tual enrolment in the schools
six weeks after the opening of
the current school year. This
is the date at which expert
ence proves that population is
at its peak for any given school
year. This means that in Oc-
tober, 1851. when the District
Commissioners prepared the
D. C. Appropriation Bill for
1858 Il. e., the 1923 school
year, items for textbooks and
Institutional supplies were
computed on the basis of an
allotment of $4.25 for each of
the 28,556 children in the ele-
mentary schools for whites
and a like amount for each Of
the 32,526 children in the ele-
mentary schools for Negroes on
October 10, 1851.
However, when the money
thus appropriated was spent,
it had to be apportioned among
28,317 white children and 34.-
729 colored children-239 fewer
white pupils and 2,203 more
Negro pupils. Therefore, if
there had been. in fact, equal
ity of expenditure, and the
same per capita allotment had
been in effect in both divisions,
there would have been a sur
plus in the white division and
a deficit in the Negro division.
The surplus in Division could
have been disposed of either
by turning the sum back to the
United States Treasury or by
transferring it to Division 2
use. Neither of these actions
was taken. The sum allocated
to Division ! was spent there.
Accordingly, 28.317 children
used $4.29 per child. On the
other hand, if there had been.
in fact. equality Of expendi-
ture, a deficiency appropria-
ton or a transfer Of funds
from Division / to Division 2,
or from some other account in
Division 2. which had no sur
,pluseS of any kind--would
have had TO be secured 10 meet
the needs Of the 2,203 addi-
tional Negro pupils. Nothing
Of this sort was done. In other
words. Negro children we're
given 1898 for textbooks and
supplies difference Of 81
cents per child. This may seem
to be a mere trifie, but 81
cents multiplied by 34.729 chill
dren equals $10.766-and that
would have bought a few books.
and some paper. pencils. chalk
and blackboard erasers, be-
sides.
This is just one more proof
that segregated schools are
always separate but never