Newspaper Page Text
I
PAGE 2—Feb. 3, 1955—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala.
SPECIAL session of the Alabama
legislature convened Jan. 25 at
the call of Gov. James E. Folsom. He
asked the legislators to authorize a
vast road bond issue, totaling an esti
mated 100 million dollars. The special
call was one of Gov. Folsom’s first
official acts after taking office on
Jan. 17.
Normally, the legislature would
not have convened until its regular
biennial session in May. However,
Folsom has hinted, this call may be
the first of several. In addressing the
legislators on the opening day of the
special session, Folsom made no men
tion of the school segregation issue
or legislation stemming from it. His
remarks were confined largely to his
top priority item, roads.
The lawmakers will not be limited
to Folsom’s proposals. Almost cer
tainly the question of school segre
gation will arise. Several bills de
signed to preserve classroom segre
gation have, in fact, already been
drafted.
State Sen. Albert Boutwell of Bir
mingham, who presided over a spe
cial legislative committee set up by
the 1953 legislature to study school
segregation, said in September that
he would submit the several recom
mendations of the Boutwell Com
mittee to the legislature at the “first
opportunity.” Folsom’s predecessor,
Gov. Gordon Persons, despite con
siderable pressure from many law
makers, refused to call a special ses
sion to consider the Boutwell Com
mittee recommendations. Among the
proposals suggested by the commit
tee were the removal of constitutional
references to “public” education, and
other measures which would pave the
way for state-supported private
schools.
If enacted, the various Boutwell
Committee proposals would permit
the state to discontinue public
schools, wherever necessary, “to
avoid friction or disorder,” and to
allocate public money to aid “pri
vate” schools. Such measures would
not automatically abolish the public
school system, as Sen. Boutwell ex
plained them, but would grant the
legislature “flexibility” in meeting
any situation that might arise.
(Southern School News, Oct. 1, Page
2; Nov. 4, Page 2)
An element of individual choice
would be insured by the committee’s
recommendations, Sen. Boutwell
said. Parents would be granted the
right to choose the school for their
children. However, if such an ar
rangement should not result in a
workable solution, and one satisfac
tory to the legislature, the state
would have the power to discontinue
the schools involved and provide in
dividual public assistance for private
schooling in any or all school dis
tricts in the state.
Gov. Folsom has expressed dis
trust of any private school plan. Late
in September he said: “I feel that if
we deed our schools to private indi
viduals they could make apartment
houses of them; if strings are at
tached the maneuver won’t hold up
in the courts.”
Perhaps significantly, Gov. Folsom
never once during his campaign for
the Democratic nomination last
spring, or in the general election in
the fall, used the race issue. Still he
won the nomination without a runoff,
amassing the biggest vote ever given
an Alabama gubernatorial candidate.
He carried 61 of the state’s 67 coun
ties, including 10 of the 13 counties
in Alabama’s centrally located agri
cultural Black Belt where Negroes
outnumber whites as much as five to
one. He carried all counties and
three-fourths of the total vote in the
general election against Republican
Tom Abernethy. Of all sections of
the state, the Black Belt is perhaps
most concerned with the Supreme
Court’s May 17 ruling outlawing
school segregation. In five Black Belt
counties, but nowhere else in the
state, “White Citizens Councils” have
recently been organized with the
avowed mission of invoking econom
ic sanctions against any Negroes
favoring desegregation.
For the first time in the state’s his
tory, two inaugural balls—one for
whites, another for Negroes—were
held the night of Folsom’s inaugura
tion. The ball for whites was held at
the state’s huge Agricultural Coli
seum in Montgomery; the ball for
GOV. JAMES E. FOLSOM
Negroes was held across town, at the
Alabama State College for Negroes.
Gov. Folsom attended both, although
he was criticized in advance by some
whites for making his appearance at
an all-Negro ball and by some Negro
groups for the separation of festivi
ties. Folsom’s inaugural committee
called the two balls an example of
the administration’s “separate but
equal” policy.
ENGELHARDT PLAN
Sen. Sam Engelhardt of the Black
Belt county of Macon has announced
that he will introduce a bill designed
to preserve classroom segregation by
a rigidly regulated placement sys
tem. Sen. Engelhardt was the author
of a “free private school” bill two
years ago. He still prefers that plan,
and is committed to the similar pro
posal incorporated in the Boutwell
Committee’s recommendations. En
gelhardt was a member of the Bout
well Committee.
The placement system bill, which
Engelhardt made public early in
January, is a fallback piece of legis
lation in case the lawmakers balk at
enacting private school measures.
When Engelhardt proposed his free
private school bill two years ago, it
received little support, dying in com
mittee.
The placement plan would operate
this way:
Placement boards, vested with ju
dicial powers ( thus making them
immune from law suits) would be
appointed in each of the existing
school districts (at least one in each
county).
Board members, using lists of all
school age children in their commu
nities, would determine which public
school in the district each pupil
should attend. The Engelhardt bill
makes this general declaration of
policy:
“Insofar as possible, pupils shall be
assigned to the school and class in
which they can reasonably be ex
pected most fully to develop their
talents and in which each pupil will
be taught in accordance with his
ability to learn as determined by in
telligence and aptitude tests given in
accordance with rules and regula
tions adopted by the board of place
ment.”
Board members would not be con
fined to objective tests, however, but
might consider “any and all factors
involved in the pupil’s adjustment to
his school surroundings, and shall
give due weight to such factors as the
following:
(1) Distance of school from pupil’s
home:
(2) The pupil’s educational background;
(3) The pupil’s home environment:
(4) Whether or not the assignment
would sever long-established ties of
friendship and place the pupil in hostile
surroundings from which his former
friends and associates are completely
missing.
(5) The pupil’s wishes as evidenced by
a written request from his parents or
guardian to be assigned to a particular
school.
(6) Whether or not in the judgment of
the board the assignment would cause or
tend to cause a breach of the peace, riot,
or affray.
Under the placement system no
child could enroll in any school un
less authorized to do so by the board
of that district. Should parents dis
agree with orders of a board of place
ment, the right of appeal is granted
to the city or county board of edu
cation, thence to the circuit court.
However, the bill requires that all
appeals be accompanied by a bond
“conditioned to pay all costs of ap
peal.”
County boards of education would
provide the office space, clerical help,
supplies and equipment for the
boards of placement. The chairmen
and associate members of the boards
of placement would be appointed by
the governor “with the advice and
consent of the senate.”
The Engelhardt bill summarizes its
intent and purpose:
... To establish a practical school
system whereby the state’s school pro.
gram can be adapted to each pupil 1 ,
ability to learn. To this end it provides
modem school placement system, so that
pupils can be so grouped that the l es
advanced pupils shall not be penalized
by being placed in the class with pupil,
who are more advanced or capable of
learning at a more rapid rate, and con.
versely, that exceptionally bright and able
pupils shall not be held back to a level
below their ability to learn. Therefore,
this act shall be liberally construed to
effectuate this avowed purpose.
The chief difference between the
placement plan and either the Engel,
hardt private school bill or the simi.
lar proposal contained in the Bout-
well Committee’s recommendations,
is that the former would not require
amendment of the state’s organic
law, which makes the maintenance
of a free public school system manda
tory. The placement bill is frankly
intended by Engelhardt as a substi-
tute proposal in event the legislature
considers the private school plan too
drastic.
Except for his comments express
ing suspicion of private schools, Gov,
Folsom has not commented on the
various proposals already made pub
lic. However, the governor’s convic
tions, whatever they are, may have
an important bearing on what leg
islation is enacted, since he is gen
erally regarded as having a com
manding hold on the new legislature
—because of his impressive victory
in May and because his friends and
supporters hold important posts in
both the House and Senate.
Dr. A. R. Meadows, the new state
superintendent of education who
pledged last summer that he would
work to preserve school segregation,
has recommended a 150 million dol
lar bond issue to meet school con
struction needs in the state and to
help equalize Negro and white facili
ties. Dr. Meadows has also proposed
a $600 annual raise for teachers.
While Gov. Folsom has pledged
support for school needs, his para
mount concern in the special session
which convened Jan. 25 is enactment
of legislation providing for a 100 mil
lion dollar road bond issue. Obvious
ly, the authorization of so large a
commitment for roads would weaken
the chances of an even larger obli
gation for school construction.
Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
r T'HE lack of executive or legisla
tive comment on the question of
public school segregation has been
the most significant—if negative—
aspect of school news in Arkansas
during January.
Gov. Orval E. Faubus, in his Jan.
11 inaugural address, made no men
tion of segregation. And the subject
wasn’t brought up in the General As
sembly during the first two weeks of
the 60-day biennial legislative ses
sion.
During the summer’s Democratic
primaries, Faubus had said that de
segregation was the No. 1 issue of
the campaign and that it was a de
cision to be met at the local level. He
promptly dropped the subject and
made no further mention of it—dur
ing or after the campaign.
Schools and money, after the first
two weeks of the legislative session,
still remained one of the big issues.
School forces, asking that the legis
lature provide an additional $12,-
500,000 a year from state tax sources
for public schools, still decline to
recommend a specific tax source. The
school forces, which include the state
department of education and profes
sional and lay groups, hold to the
position that it is their job to outline
the need and that it is the respon
sibility of the governor and the legis
lature to find the tax source to meet
that need.
Gov. Faubus has said that while he
thinks the school forces have done
a good job in justifying the request
for additional state money, the state
education department should provide
specific data on how much money is
now available—district by district—
and how any additional money would
be spent—district by district. The
education department, at SERS dead
line time, was preparing that infor
mation.
SUPPORT ASSUMED
Legislators, always wary about a
general tax increase of any kind, have
been assured by the United Commit
tee for Better Schools, a lay group
supporting the education depart
ment’s budget request, that it will
support any “reasonable” revenue
measure—which amounts to a pledge
of political support to legislators who
support the school request.
At SERS deadline time, no tax
proposal had been introduced which
would raise the entire $12,500,000
sought in additional aid. But several
bills designed to raise lesser amounts
for school aid have been introduced.
The additional $12,500,000 a year
being sought (which would increase
the education department budget
from about $29,500,000 a year to
$42,000,000 a year) would finance a
minimum educational program which
would include large steps toward
equalizing salaries of white and
Negro teachers and toward equaliz
ing facilities for the two races.
In the opening days of the legisla
tive session, the school and money
situation has been, as one school of
ficial said, “a cat and mouse game”—
everyone waiting for everyone else.
An example of the general reluc
tance to speak out: Mrs. L. C. Bates
of Little Rock, president of the Ar
kansas State Conference of Branches
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, de
clined on Jan. 24 to give SERS a sum
mary statement of NAACP activities
and goals “until we can tell a little
more definitely what the legislature
is going to do.”
There have been reports that the
NAACP will ask Gov. Faubus to
name a Negro to the state board of
education.
A racial question came up in the
House of Representatives on Jan. 19
—on a proposal to eliminate racial
identification on poll tax receipts.
Rep. Glenn F. Walther of Pulaski
County, author of the bill, said the
requirement was useless—that a vote
had the same effect regardless of the
color of the person casting it. Rep.
W. L. Ward Sr. of Lee County asked
if Walther had any objection to the
“W” (for white) on his poll tax re
ceipt. Walther said he did not but
could see no use for it. Ward said he
could see no reason then why any
person, regardless of color, would
have any objection to the color iden
tification.
Rep. Paul Van Dalsem of Perry
County moved that the bill be tabled,
which would in effect kill it. By voice
vote, the motion to table was ap
proved. Walther and Rep. Robert W.
Laster of Pulaski County succeeded
in getting a roll call on the motion to
table.
Laster said: “Now let’s see you fel
lows get on record. A vote for this
motion (to table) means a lot of you
will be sitting in the balcony at the
next session.”
The roll call was 59 to 29 in favor
of the Van Dalsem tabling motion.
SCHOOL STATISTICS
On Jan. 24, the state department
of education released a statistical
summary of Arkansas school dis
tricts for the 1953-54 school year. Ex
cerpts from that report showed:
Arkansas has 423 school districts.
Of these, 184 have no Negro students,
228 have both races and 11 have only
Negroes. Of 322,712 white students of
school age, 315,111 were enrolled and
273,131 were in average daily attend
ance. Of 107,340 Negroes of school
age, 99,844 were enrolled and 83,211
were in average daily attendance.
The average salary for all teachers
was $2,234. For white teachers, the
average was $2,306; for Negro teach
ers it was $1,962.
The value of school property for
whites was $134,423,573. For Negroes,
it was $19,930,927.
Total school spending was $54,975,-
328 or $45,126,210 for whites and
$9,849,118 for Negroes.
A breakdown of the total spending
included $45,533,107 for current op
erating expenses ($37,310,825 for
whites and $8,222,282 for Negroes)
and $3,513,862 for capital outlay
($2,956,736 for whites and $557,126 for
Negroes).
Another section of the 1953-54
school year report showed:
Assessed valuation per child en
rolled $1,993. Current revenue per
child enrolled $131. Current revenue
per child in average daily attendance
$152.
Current operating expenditure by
school districts per child enrolled—
total white $119, total Negro $83 and
all schools $110.
Current operating expenditure by
school districts per child in average
daily attendance—total white $137,
total Negro $101 and all schools $129.
Total expenditure by school dis
tricts per child in average daily at
tendance—total white $165, total Ne
gro $118 and all schools, $154.
Percentage distribution of current
revenue receipts of local school dis
tricts—from federal sources 3.02 per
cent, state 50.94 per cent and local
46.04 per cent.
On Jan. 29, a suit which sought to
break down racial segregation of
children at the Arkansas state hospi
tal was dismissed in Little Rock by
Federal Judge Thomas C. Trimble.
The suit was filed in behalf of a
Negro child, Maurice Johnson, U
of Dermott, who had been refused
admittance on grounds that the men
tal hospital was filled to capacity.
In dismissing the suit, Judge Trim
ble held that the segregation issue
had not been properly raised since
the child was never admitted to the
hospital. “There is absolutely no tes
timony that would support the charge
the plaintiff was, or will be denied
admission to the state hospital on ac
count of his race,” the jurist said.
Hearings Scheduled
On Harlan Appointment
On Jan. 31, the Senate Judicial
Committee ordered closed hearing
for Feb. 23 on the nomination
John Marshall Harlan to the U.
Supreme Court.
Chairman Kilgore told reported
that there had been “a lot of P 1 ® -
test” against the Harlan appoi®
men. “These protests have nothing
do with his integrity, or anything 1®^
that, but to his thinking on vario®'
lines,” Kilgore said.
Judge Harlan, now on the 2nd Id-
Circuit Court of Appeals, will be 15
vited to testify, Kilgore said.
(On last Nov. 22, the Supre®'
Court postponed arguments on **
and when it should implement '
May 17 decision declaring
school segregation unconstitutio®^
The court’s brief statement said:
view of the absence of a full c0
the cases . . . now scheduled f° r
gument Dec. 6 are continued.’ „„
(The court acted after the J u ^_
ciary Committee had decided to £ ,
lay until January consideration ^
the nomination of Judge Harlan ^
the vacancy created in October/
the death of Associate Justice h°
ert H. Jackson.)