History of Lauderdale County School District | Page 149

Meridian Star, December 19, 1969

Court Orders Cloud School Holiday
Jackson (UPI) – Thousands of Mississippi school children take off for the Christmas
holidays this afternoon facing an uncertain future-whether they will return to the same
classrooms, go to new schools or not return at all. Thirty Mississippi school districts are under
orders from the U.S. Supreme Court to totally desegregate by Dec. 21, with several others facing
the same possible deadline Feb. 1. Governor Joh Bell Williams and several other state officials
have predicted the orders handed down Oct 29 by the Supreme Court will cause mass
withdrawals by white students in heavily black areas. Many black parents also have expressed
apprehension over the impending changes. Some teachers already have submitted resignations
in various districts but an education spokesman said most apparently are waiting to see what
happens after the first of the year.
Williams said the Supreme Court decision, coupled with the implementation order from
the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, would “do irreparable damage to the quality of public
education in our state.” “The effect of this decree, in most instances, will make quality education
for these children an utter impossibility,” said the governor. “In all cases, it will be disruptive,
with educational progress brought to a sudden halt.” Most school officials have been working to
complete first semester requirements prior to the holiday break instead of mid-January as
originally scheduled and to finalize plans for the changeover with movement of pupils and
supplies.
Dr. Clyde Muse, superintendent of the Hinds County School District said the holiday
would start as scheduled this afternoon but the re-opening of schools after Christmas would be
delayed for two days to permit staff reorganization and an orientation program for pupils being
transferred to different schools.
Dr. D.W. Todd, Superintendent of Meridian city schools, said “we’ll take off Christmas
Eve, Christmas day and the day after Christmas and run through Dec. 31 to close the first
semester for our secondary school.” Elementary students were to begin their holiday vacation as
originally scheduled this afternoon. Todd said city secondary schools would reop en Jan. 14.
In addition to the 30 districts ordered to initiate plans for a “unitary system” by Dec. 31 at
least seven other school districts in the state were ordered by the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare to put similar plans into effect by the same date. U.S. Supreme Court
Justice Hugo Black also directed a number of other Mississippi school districts, including the
city of Jackson, to begin preparing for complete faculty, student and facilities desegregation by
Feb. 1 pending a hearing before the Supreme Court.
Dr. Garvin Johnston, State Superintendent of Education said most school district would
begin the holiday recess this afternoon but that the length of holiday would vary from district to
district. He said the only state requirement was that a district complete 175 school days during
the year. A total of about 125, 000 children are involved in the 30 initial districts. The ratio is
about 50-50 white and black, but in some districts the percentage of blacks run as high as 70
percent. A local citizens group in Forrest County last week staged an initial protest to the
Supreme Court order and called a boycott of county schools. Attendance at one school dropped
to 3.7 percent.
Private schools were being organized in virtually all the districts involved, while officials
or private institutions already operating in the areas report more applications for enrollment than