Correspondence from Foster to Henrickson

    • •
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. Henrickson:

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 follqwing 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 g.rade 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 wiih substantially 
proportionate racial -distribution compared to the city as a whole but 
without equal size in terms of totaI. enro!Iment. 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 
' 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.
It was agreed they would be assigned to the schools nearest their residence 
with capacity andwouId not be part of the reassignment pattern.

5. The desegregation plan would contain the fallowing 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 4

A private, independent, international university 
An equal opportunity employer



». *-
Mr. Merle Henri 
January 21, 1972

Page 2

6. Reassignment of students would be achieved by restructuring 
feeder patterns to the middle 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 grouping elementary schools such as all black schools being assigned 
grade 4-6 students and all white schools grade 1-2 students.

1 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.

*

9. It 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 Iy most schools 
would be expected to fall within that range in this kind of a reassignment 
pattern but that If some were outside the range indiscriminantly there 
would be no problem.

10. ]t was my understanding that the burden of all transportation 
currently Is on the child except for safety factors or special assignments. 
Under the reassignment plan where elementary pupils were reassigned to a 
school within a mile’s distance it would be considered a walk-in assignment.
I wasn’t clear about transportation .considerations'for secondary students.
In most states a two-mile or mi le-and-a-haif rule is applied.

11. It was my understanding that maps for court use would be made 
by your staff to correspond with the reassignment plan.

12. In terms of timing w.e agreed that the week of January 17 would 
be needed to run a plan for the southwest area as a sort of model. It was 
anticipated that the other 4 areas would require two additional weeks or a 
total of 3 weeks altogether.

It was a pleasure to work .with you and Mr. Beer, and I look forward 
•to seeing you again in Detroit in a week or so. If your perceptions of 
our initial meeting differ substantially from the above points, we should 
Iron out the disparities at our next meeting.

nee re ly,

Gordon Foster 
Professor of Education

GFrpsk ______  —r
cc: Louis R. Lucas, attorney^^  ^  This copy for. <L

Louis D. Beer, attorney