History of Lauderdale County School District | Page 89

economics. Commercial work will include typing, shorthand and bookkeeping. The facilities
for these operations are all completely new.
Offers Football – The school will thus become the only county school to offer football.
In addition Middleton will have teams in basketball, baseball and track. No white school at
present offers any sport other than basketball, although Center Hill plans a baseball team this
spring. In addition to the varsity sports program, a full program of physical education and
health courses will be a part of the curriculum. Accompanying varsity sports participation will
be a band, which is already in the process of being organized and equipped.
As recently as 1955, there were 10 Negro schools in the county outside the city. The
consolidation into one school came about after the county school board recommended it in
January of 1958. The state Educational Finance Commission approved the recommendation and
supplied a large share of the funds for the construction of Middleton. (Tomorrow – the pros and
cons)
Meridian Star, October 30, 1959

Our County Schools: 6 - Consolidation: Controversial Issue
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series on the county school system. Today’s article deals with the background of
the move for a single county white school and differing opinions on the wisdom of such a move.
By Jack Wardlaw, Meridian Star Staff Writer

Consolidation of schools has been a controversial issue in Lauderdale County for several
ye ars. As the number of white county schools has declined from 16 in 1950 to the present seven,
a history of bitter struggles has been left as some communities sought to retain local schools.
Today, six white county high schools remain, and one grade school. They are Collinsville,
Lauderdale, Clarkdale, Long Creek, Vimville, Center Hill and Whynot Elementary School.
Schools closed since 1950 have been Bonita, Causeyville, Daleville, Dixie Highway, Marion
Martin, Meehan, Ponta and Squalena. While nine schools have been closed, no new ones have
been built. On the other hand, 47 Negro schools have been closed over years and combined into
the new Middleton School. In late 1957, the county school board recommended that there be
five white high schools (the present ones excluding Long Creek), and two Negro high schools
(Bailey and Stevenson). This proposal however was rejected by the State Education Finance
Commission.
Negro School Approved – In January, 1958, the school board recommended that there
be one white and one colored high school in the county, both to be new construction. The
finance commission approved the Negro school, and it was built, the commission has not yet
acted on the proposal for the new white school.
Marvin Williams, Meridian attorney and member of the finance commission, explained
that the commission gave top priority to Negro school construction because so badly needed all
over the state in order to implement the state’s “separate by equal” education policies to retain
segregation of the races. With the state aid, the $600,000 Middleton school was constructed
without a bond issue. Williams said that state funds were now deleted, and that county would
probably have to call a bond issue in order to construct a large white school. In addition, the
1957-58 decisions were accompanied by much dispute as various groups arose to protest school
consolidation. Today, the move toward a large county school is being renewed. The Citizens