The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-06-05
Supervisors Announce Intent
To Drop Tax Levy For Schools
Public Hearing
On School-I4e
Budget June %

Acknowledging the impossibllity
of operating public schools within
the race mixing principle specified
by the federal appeals court and
without hostility toward the Negro
people Of Prince Edward county,
the board of supervisors Tuesday
unanimously declared its refusal to
levy taxes for the operation of pub
lie schools in the u months COM
mencing July /.
Rejecting school budget of
$3.50 500 which would finance
schools as heretofor. as we'll as an
alternative budget estimate OF local
funds required for tuition scholar
ships. amounting to S489 .959 the
board the following day accepted
its bud ge committees recon-
mended budget, which provides fl
nancing only for county govern
ment and welfare.
That budgetary outline. totaling
s2lO,654 compared to last years
schools included budget Of 1887 ,l43
carried but one item for schools,
$50 400, to provide the annual
amortization 2on the R. R Motion
High School debt That is required
BY law. Other school items are not,
if supervisors SO will.
Levy Studied
The proposed budget. reduced Is
per cent by its school-less struct-
ure. provides for local tax income
Of 1872, 504 A year ago under nor
NAL procedures, this tax revenue
was $3.50 900 raised by a $40 levy.
Since supervisors added their in
tention to lay such county levy
only as will raise revenue sufficient
to meet expenditures for county pur-
poses only. exclusive of schools, !"
a considerable reduction in the
present S340 levy is possible.
The board took no action regard
ing the annual tax levy. It simply
directed the publication Of the
S210.654 budget for public inspec-
ton and specified that a public
hearings to be conducted at 10
am. on Tuesday June %
Board Statement
The supervisors thinking ain
purposes mind the unpreccn-
dented action was outlined in a
statement. released by Chairman
Edward A. Carter In it, the board
said:
The action taken today by the
Board Of Supervisors of Prince Ed
ward County has been determined
upon only after the most careful
and deliberate study over the long
period of years since the schools
Of this county were first brought
under the force Of Federal Court
decree. 1t is with the most pro-
found regret that we have been
compelled to take this action. We
do not act in defiance of any law
or Of any court. Above all we do
not act with hostility toward the
Negro people of Prince E d W ar d
County
"On the contrary, it is the fer
vent hope Of this Board that. the
friendly and peaceful relations be-
tween the white and Negro people
of the county will not be further
impaired and that we may in due
time be able to resume the opera
ton Of public schools in this county
upon basis acceptable to all the
people of the county.
The School Board of this county
is confronted with a court decree
which requires the admission Of
white and colored children to all
the schools of the county without
regard to race or color. Knowing
the people Of this county as we do,
we know that it is not possible
to operate the schools of this county
within the terms of that principle
and at the same time maintain an
Continued on page a.