Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-24
Rural Prince Edward Whites Determined
To Drop Public Schools Rather Than Integrote
BY ALEX r. PRESTON
star stan Writer

FARMvMLE. Va. May 23--
Five years after the Supreme
Courts school decision. white
citizens Of rural Prince Ed
I ward County are ready and
determined to abandon public
education rather than comply
with the latest Federal Court
desegreeation order.
Indignation has come to
scattered other parts Of the
State which once vowed Me-
groes never would set foot in
white classrooms.
SO Virginia's official policy has
shifted from massive resistance
to contained. If reluctant. COM
pliance.
But In Southside Prince Ed
ward, where Negro students are
In the majority, there still is
no sign of any willingness
among white residents to ac-
cept mixed classes--either next
! fall. or six years from now.
which was the desegregation
headline the county won and
teen lost through court de-
cFees.
Case Study
II This area thus becomes an
interesting case study as one of
the first in which deep-South
determination not to integrate
comes face to face with a Fed
eral court order to take steps
In that direction.
AS matters now stand. Prince
Edward has been told students
cannot be refused admission to
public schools next September
because Of race.
Appeals and legal maneuvers
may put of the ultimatum, as
they have since May II. 1854,
when the Supreme Court is
sued its historic ruling against
Prince Edward and four other
Southern communities.
Barring such delays, how
ever, next September is likely
to find Prince Edward con-
fronted with Negro applications
that cannot be rejected.
Firm Against Indignation
White residents who have
faced that prospect each fall
since 1854 may not be certain
Of the details of what will hap
pen when the applications
come-but they are sure there
will be no indignation and no
public schools to integrate.
"I can't name you a soul
who's willing to send their
children to school with a Me-
gro." said Herbert Woods,
president of the Farmville
High School PTA (white). 4
His sentiments were echoed
scores of times among the
white population in other
PTAs, by county officials, by
store clerks and on street COR
ners.
Must Decide Course
Sometime before June 80,
the Prince Edward County
Board of Supervisors and the
School Board will decide on
one of three courses now open
under Virginia's new free
dom Of choice" laws:
ID Appropriate funds for
public schools. which seems
unlikely:
90 Set aside money for gen.
eral educational purposes so
that public school support may
be shifted to scholarships for
private instruction. or
I'D Shut off all money for
educational purposes.
The second course apparent
ly will be followed with appro-
priations made. as they have
been for the last four years.
On a. month-to-month basis.
Would Close in Month
II the county chooses to
withdraw all financial support
from the field of public educa-
ton. it faces the prospect of
only one month of elementary
public school operations. The
one month would be financed
with approximately s35. 900
which the State is required by
the Virginia Constitution to
send to the locality.
I'VE would be compelled to
operate elementary schools
with that money" said School
Supt. T. j. McIlwaine. eve
might be able to run a month "
Thus, by financial strangula-
ton, the county feels it can
call a halt to public classes
on short notice.
Past Federal and State court
rulings have struck down laws
that fatty required schools to
close to avoid Indignation. I'M
tested, however, is whether a
locality can be forced to put
up money for schools that the
people no longer want to sup |
port.
Private School Plan Likely
When public classes cease.
Prince Edwards white residents |
stand prepared to use a four |
year-old private school plan |
which already has set a pattern |
In the South for attempting to