Virginia lawmakers once again have turned down a proposal to join other states in permitting the election of local school boards.
A measure that would have called for a statewide referendum on the issue was defeated by a vote of 12 to 8 in the House Privileges and Elections Committee last week. The panel’s Senate counterpart had rejected a similar bill by a vote of 11 to 4 last month.
A federal judge last summer upheld the state’s system of appointed school boards, dismissing a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of black citizens who charged that the system was discriminatory.
Virginia is the only state that bars locally elected boards.--dc
