Correspondence from Foster to Henrickson

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UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA 33124

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 
P. O. BOX 8065

January 21, 1972

Mr. Merle Henrlckson 
Detroit Public Schools 
5057 Woodward Avenue 
Detroit, Michigan

Dear Mr. Henrlckson:

I thought it might be of value to confirm at least the major
parts of our discussion on January 17 at which Mr.- Beer was also present. 
The following points are, of course, based on my perceptions of the 
conversation.

I. You reviewed briefly for my edification Plans A and B which
were directed to a 50-50 distribution of grade 7-12 students by race, 
leaving 7 of the inner city high school constellations as presently 
constituted.

2. Plan C was more comprehensive in that it included the 7 con­
stellations and divided the city into 5 basic areas wilh substantially 
proportionate racial distribution compared to the city as a whole but 
without equal size in terms of totaI. enroIIment. While this was primari ly 
a secondary plan, it was understood that it could be extrapolated to 
Include all schools at all grade levels. .

3. The problem of capacity appeared to limit the establishment 
4 of 4-year high schools to the southwest area. In all other areas 
. grades 10-12 would constitute the high school populations. •

4. Kindergarten children attend school for only half the day.
1 + was agreed they would be assigned to the schools nearest their residence 
with capacity andwould not be part of the reassignment pattern.

5. The desegregation plan would contain the following 5 areas 
based .on high school constellations: -

a. Murray, Western, Southwestern, Chadsey, Northwestern
.b. Central, Mumford, Cooley, Redford, Ford (plus

Winterhalter)
c. Pershing, Osborn, Kettering
d. Northeastern, Denby, King, Southeastern, Finney
e. Cody, MacKenzie, Northern %

A private, independent, international university 
An equal opportunity employer “



Mr. Merle Henricl^kri 
January 21, 1972 ™ Page 2

6. Reassignment of students would be achieved by restructuring 
feeder patterns to the middie schools and high schools so that the racial 
composition of each secondary school would be substantially proportionate 
to the total district. .

7. The elementary attendance areas thus assigned to each middle 
school would be either paired or clustered in such a manner as to also be 
racially proportionate.

8. It was my position that no fixed pattern should be utilized 
in g a p i n g  elementary schools such as all black schools being assiqned 
grade 4-6 students and all white schools grade 1-2 students.

I suggested that it would be nondiscriminatory if all elementary 
school grade assignments were made somewhat randomly considering capacities 
transportation, and classroom facility factors but making sure that con­
siderable numbers of both black and white schools (as presently constituted) 
would be set up as primary or intermediate centers. ■

• ^  was agreed that "substantially proportionate" in terms of
pupil assignment meant a tolerance of at least 10 per cent above'or below 
the average for the total system. I stated that ordinari ly most schools
*°+jd bV f : K +:d,:° faM wi+hin +ha+ ran9e in this kind of a reassignment 
pat)®r[| bu+ +ha+ ,f some were outside the range i nd i scr imi nant ly there 
would be no problem.

„ . ° \  J+ my understanding that the burden of all transportation
UndIrn^ Y 5 C 6XCep+ f°r Safe+y fac+ors or special assignments.
Under the reass|gnmen+ plan where elementary pupils were reassigned to a

10 3 k ! !  dis+ance would be considered a walk-in assignment, 
n f S V  + !aP 3 ? transportation .considerations for secondary students.
In most states a two-mile or mi le-and-a-haIf rule is applied. .

. . '!• ' V as my understanding that maps for court use would be made
by your staff to correspond with the reassignment plan.

k . I2! ln terms of timln9 we agreed that the week of January 17 would 
be needed to run a plan for the southwest area as a sort of m o d e l .  I H a s

totl? of+td +hf  T! OTr r 4 areas would retluire two additional weeks or a total of 3 weeks altogether.

It was a pleasure to work .with you and Mr. 
•to seeing you again in Detroit in a week or so. ! 
our initial meeting differ substantially from the 
iron out the disparities at our next meeting.

Beer, and I look forward 
f your perceptions of 
above points, we should

iiincerely,

Gordon Foster 
Professor of Education

GF:psk ____
cc: Louis R. Lucas, attorney!^ ---™ ^ Thiscc>Py~for~ ^

Louis D. Beer, attorney ' “ ... .........