The Illinois Times

School Board Defers Action On Boundaries

Champaign Unit 4 school board found itself faced with conflicting elements over the question of boundary lines at its meeting Monday night.

Controversy stems from a recommendation made by the Citizens Education Council in October that definite boundary lines be established for each school in northeast Champaign.

Action was deferred until an enrollment survey of all elementary schools being conducted by the CEC has been completed.

Four residents from northeast Champaign appeared at the board meeting to voice objections to the placing of any boundary lines. They felt that such lines would "add more to the segregation problem in Champaign."

Boundary lines now under consideration would make Hill Street and the Illinois Central Railroad the new dividing line. Children living north of Hill Street and west of the IC tracks would attend Washington or Lawhead schools.

One exception to the boundary lines would be the territory east of the IC tracks between Hill Street on the south, 3rd Street on the west, and the Big Four Railroad on the north. Children living in this area would attend Gregory School.

Acceptance of this recommendation would mean that many of the Negro children now attending Gregory School would be forced to attend schools inside the new boundary lines, thus, in effect, keeping most of the Negro children at Washington, Lawhead and Willard schools.

Mrs. Alfred Latham, who spoke against the boundary lines, said "the lines would be depriving her children of the right to attend the school of their choice."

"Just because real estate regulates where we can and cannot live, there is no reason why the board should say where we can send our children to school," she declared.

Mrs. Latham said if the proposed boundary lines were established it would prolong "mixed classes" to the junior high level.

She added that it would mean another adjustment for her children and others in the same situation. It would mean taking them from a "mixed" school back into an all Negro school, and then at 6th grade putting them back into "mixed classes."

Others voicing objections against the proposed boundary lines were Mr. and Mrs. M. G. Washington and Mrs. Elva McDowell.

H. S. Dawson, school board president, said the question of these boundaries first had been brought to the attention of the board by another group of northeast Champaign residents desiring such lines. The suggestion was also made last spring by Mrs. Lizzie Johnson, who resigned as principal and teacher in Washington school.

When the recommendation was made by the CEC it was pointed out that there are boundary lines in all other Unit 4 school districts. It also was stated that the purpose of placing the lines was to allow all children to attend the closest school and to keep as nearly as possible equal enrollment.