Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-03
ARLINGTON

| ARLINGTON
Continued From First Page
1.-THE school superintendent In
1.-THE past has exercised authority
Ito assign a child to . certain
school for any one Of various
reasons, such as TO accommo-
date family arrangements when
1.-THE mother Is employed near q
particular school building.
Factual Situation
AT one point in the hearing,
Judge Bryan said that the case
has narrowed down to a "fac-
tual situation" as to whether
there Is evidence to support the
boards tentative assignments.
It is. Judge Bryan said. a
review of administrative action
as to whether the boards de-
cisions were proper ones.
During his decentralization
| of Mr.. Joy, Mr.. Reeves ran into
Idifficulty In challenging the
validity Of reflections made on
students where the board had
turned down the applications
on more than one point. Judge
Bryan said Mr.. Reeves could
Question school officials on the
individual reasons for rejection
but that the witnesses might
wen have difticulty in stating
what weight they gave on each
of the points involved in the
rejection.
Confer in Private
When yesterdays hearing re-
eessed for the day at 6 pm,
school board members hurriedly
convened meeting in the
United States Marshal's ONCE.
They conferred privately for
q few minutes, then invited re-
tporters to be present while ac-
ton was taken to POSTPONE the
fall term.
Attorney James H. Sim
monds, counsel for the school
board, recommended the delay
since it appeared uncertain
whether a decision would be
Preached in the case before the
scheduled beginning Of classes.
Attorney General Albertis S.
Harrison, jr., said he con-
lcurred in the delay.
st feel it is in the best inter-
lest Of the Arlington school sys-
Item as well as in the interest
LOT Virginia generally" said Mr..
Harrison.
Announcement of the school
boards action on the Negro
applications came as q surprise
Inear the end Of the hearing
yesterday.
Last week, the school board
had said it would be ready to
make assignments instantly If
the court held that RESPONSE
bility rested with the school
board. But there had been no
advance indication that the
school board actually had gone
over the applications and
reached a decision on each of
them.
Mr.. Joy said the action was
taken +, at q conference last
Thursday. He later described
the action as a "recommenda-
ton" pending q decision by the
court whether the State Pupil
Placement Board or the school
board has final authority to
act. One of the questions be-
fore the court is whether the
placement board or the school
board is the proper agency to
pass on transfer applications.
Mr.. Joy said school board
members had been advised by
their counsel to familiarize
themselves with records of the
Negro applicants. The material
reviewed by the school board,
he said, was the same the
placement board used in reach
ing its conclusion.
The school board, said Mr..
Joy, reviewed each of the 80
Negro applications.
For one reason or another,
the vote was to reject" he
testified.
Split Vote Indicated
There were indications, how
ever, that at least some of the
Negro applications we're turned
down by the board on a split
vote.
Mr.. Joy listed the five rea-
sons fol, disapproval of the
transfers as follows: Attend
ance area boundaries which
placed some of the applicants
outside of school districts where
they have applied; overcrowd-
ing at Westinghouse High
School, making any new en-
rollmentS inadVisahle; insufh-
cient academic achievement;
psychological problems; and
inability Of some students to
adapt to new situations.
! Many Of the students said