Susan Newby, Managing Editor
The Southern Standard
105 College St.
McMinnville, TN 37110

Dear Editor:

We would like to clarify our position regarding local School Board policy. Our remarks in previous letters should in no wise be construed as implying criticism of the excellent, hard-working administrators, teachers, and staff of the Warren County School System.

Our sole point is that we wish to see an end to the present school board policy which discriminates against prospective students who wish to transfer into Warren County schools from private Christian schools or vice versa. We would like to see these students treated exactly the same as other students. Why is this regarded as such a novel, even radical, idea by our local school board?

The assumption that non-public or non-approved schools are in some way inferior to public schools is exactly that - an assumption with absolutely no basis in fact. Since there is no empirical or statistical basis for this assumption, then to treat students from such schools as in any way inferior or to subject them to special tests to prove their right to attend public schools amounts to discrimination.

The Tennessee Board of Regents has already removed special requirements for students from such schools who desire to attend Tennessee's public colleges and universities. Why is our local school board so reluctant to do the same for our elementary and high school students?

Yours,

Walter J. Clark