"While speaker after speaker stepped up to the microphone during the Jan. 8 Charlottesville School Board meeting pleading for preservation of the Jefferson Preschool program at its present location, one attendee charged the community with racism.

'This is about money, race, and years and years of discrimination that continues to this day,' said city resident Dr. Rick Turner during his three minute presentation. One of more than 20 people speaking in favor of keeping the program at the Jefferson School, Turner told the board that African-American children have been, 'historically neglected educationally.'

'If this was one of the historically white schools, repairs wouldn't be questioned,' he said.

At issue is a proposed move of the preschool from its centralized location at Jefferson School with plans calling for the program to be split among the city's elementary schools. The building - which the school board says is in need of more that a million dollars in repairs - would then be turned over to the city and eventually converted to other uses.

Turner said young children - especially black children - need the consistency and stability the program offers at its present location.

'The attitudes of the community (regarding Jefferson School) have reflected double standards … and, yes, racism,' Turner told the board, describing what he said was the 'miseducation of our children in the Charlottesville school system.' He said many black students graduating from the city system are not academically eligible to attend schools such as the University of Virginia.

'It's about race,' Turner said, 'And we don't want to discuss it, either the black community or the white community.'

Other speakers touted the historical aspects of the building, constructed in 1884 (with an addition. built in 1926) as a grade school for blacks. The school remained segregated for a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education ruling in 1954. In 1968, the school closed and the building became temporary housing for students whose schools were undergoing renovations. Since then, the Jefferson School has become home to a variety of programs including adult education, English as a second language classes, and the Jefferson Preschool.

A number of speakers praised the preschool program's successes, insisting that spreading the program over several buildings would be disastrous.

'It's so hard to build up such a program and so easy to dismantle it,' said Michelle Kellermann.

The Jefferson Preschool started in 1988 and was housed in the elementary schools. It moved to Jefferson School seven years ago, in what was supposed to be a temporary stay. Since then, teachers, administrators, parents and children have made the building into their home with student artwork adorning corridor walls, and landscaping done by teachers and other volunteers.

Other parents reminded the board that the preschool issue shouldn't be the only concern.

'I'm here to remind you that there are other schools ... with serious needs that need to be addressed,' said Bob Roach, co-president of the Johnson Elementary School PTO.

'Let's not lose sight of the fact that there are very serious issues at other schools,'

He cited safety issues related to the building's entrance, a leaking roof and lack of playground equipment.

'How long will it be before someone is injured in the parking lot at Johnson School?' asked Tina Rees. 'Please don't forget about the needs of the other 4,000 students in our schools.'

The board members listened attentively and without comment as speakers shared their views for over an hour-and-a-half. Later in the meeting, the board voted 5-2 to not rescind its resolution to tender the school's deed to the city. A vote on whether or not to move the preschool program to the city's elementary schools is scheduled for the board's Jan. 17 meeting." (Bill Dolack, The Observer, January 16, 2002)