History of Lauderdale County School District | Página 34

constitutional now guarantees only a four month term and distributes some money to counties for
schools on the basis of “educable” children. That is, the money is apportioned to counties
according to how many persons reside in the county between six and twenty one years of age.
The proposed amendment would cut the age for “educable” children from 21 years maximum
age to 18. But it would permit the Legislature to provide that 19, 20 and 21 years olds could
attend school if they wished. The amendment would provide for a 12 grade school system as the
state has now. These provisions actually are embodied in three proposed amendments and are all
part of the overall equalization program.
These provisions actually are embodied in three proposed amendments and are all part of
the overall equalization program. Another proposal released by the committee today sets out the
purposes for which money derived from public school land grants may be used. After
completing work today the committee adjourned until January 12. The major work left for the
committee is to draft revenue bills to pay for the equalization program that will cost roughly $26
million every two years above what the common schools cost now. When the entire program is
completed it will be submitted to Governor Hugh White with the request that the legislature be
called into special session to consider it. White said he would call the session, probably in
February, provided: 1. He considers it a workable program, and 2. The U.S. Supreme Court does
not rule out segregation.

In 1952 the Mississippi Legislature established a recess committee to "study and prepare
legislation concerning the public school system and all facilities and departments thereof in the
state of Mississippi." In November of the following year, Governor Hugh White called the
Legislature into extraordinary session to review the reports and recommendations of that
committee and to consider legislation amending the laws relative to the state's public schools to
address teacher salaries, increase efficiency and economy, and bring equality of educational
opportunity for all children with respect to personnel, school buildings and facilities,
transportation, and curriculum.
During that 1953 extraordinary session, the Legislature abolished all school districts in
existence in the state and mandated that they be recon stituted or reorganized by July 1, 1957. The
law required that each reconstituted district embrace the educable children of all races living
within the district and called a satisfactory plan of equalization of facilities between the races a
prerequisite to reconstitution. Also during that session the Legislature ordered that a county
board of education be established in each county of the state and created the Educational Finance
Commission (EFC) to relieve local taxing units of having to bear entirely the burden of
providing equality of educational opportunity. Counties were required to have school surveys
made in accordance with regulations issued by the newly created EFC. The EFC issued criteria
for school district reorganization on October 1, 1954 and would not consider a county plan for
reorganization until a survey had been made by an EFC-approved survey agency. Surveys were
conducted by Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi Southern
College (now the University of Southern Mississippi), and the private firm Associated
Consultants in Education. Survey report formats vary, but typically contain county population
data, school enrollment and attendance figures, transportation maps and data, lists of existing