FARMINGDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY
274 MAIN ST,
FARMINGDALE, N, Y, 11735
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Vol. 5 No. 49
AH OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE INCORPORATED VILLAQE OF FARMINGDALE
SERVING GREATER FARMINGDALE. BETHPAGE & MELVILLE
Second Class Postage has been paid at Farmingdale, N„ Y. 11735 Th ursday, Ju ly 25, 1968
ALLEN NOT TO DISSOLVE
WYANDANCH NOW Commissioner James Allen Jr. of the New York State Department
of Education released his decision yesterday on the
proposed dissolution of the 86% Negro Wyandanch School
District. He was acting upon a petition from the NAACP
decrying the ' inferior* education and seeking the annexation
of the district by the five neighboring school districts including
Farmingdale. Allen decided that because of technicalities,
he would not proclaim dissolution at this time, but would ask
the State Legislature for some ' remedial power' in such
cases. Allen did ask the Superintendent of the Supervisory
District to marshall whatever heln hff could ft^ tn reig » ? i*> Hng
school boards, organizations and individuals.
Mrs. Lucile Goulding, President of the District 22 Board of
Education, said " I can't commit the school board other than
the motion that was recently passed, by a five to one vote to
assist Wyandanch with advice and our board experience."
We had pledged our services to Dr. Gordon Wheaton, Superintendent
of that district, in what ever way we could.
In a six- page decision, Allen cited several areas of the law
which would have to be clarified before the 86% Negro district
could be annexed to the five surrounding districts, and he ordered
his legal staff to prepare amendments to state law that
could make the move possible, if necessary. Such amendments
could take many months to prepare.
The Commissioner did not reject, but delayed indefinitely, the
move, which had been petitioned for 16 black students last November
by the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored Children.
Under present statutes, Allen said any merger would be
" impractical.''
His decision was praised by Wyandanch District Principal,
James Lewis, Jr., a Negro, who says he has been trying to
improve education in the district and did not favor dissolvement.
Hairy Wilson, he « 0 of the education committee of the Deer
Park- Wyandanch branch of the NAACP, accused Allen of having
been pressured by white educators before reaching a decision.
" Of course we'll appeal i t , " Wilson said. " We hadn't expected
Allen to make a favorable decision because we know the
facts of life."
Altering district boundaries to end de facto segregation is
without precedent in New York State.
De facto segregation has been defined as segregation - not
necessarily intentional, caused by the drawing up of school district
boundaries along community boundary lines. Thus, a predominately
Negro neighborhood could be a defacto school
district, it was learned.
• ( Continued on Page 12)
An umbrella was the setting for a Farmingdale Public Library story hour
conducted by librarian Mrs. Loretta Paciorek on Monday at 1: 30 p. m. at
Madison and Lincoln Streets, East Farmingdale. Similar story hours will
be conducted every Monday until August 19. A record player with music Enjoying the story hour is Felicia Johns and
was used to attract youngsters in the predominantly Negro neighborhood. Mark Anthony, who reside nearby.
Farmingdale Public Library-The Observer 1968
