Freer Pupil Press Asked

The appearance oí underground newspapers at Pioneer and Huron High Schools has brought about a free press proposal, presented last night at the meeting of the Ann Arbor Board of Education. "The students wanted to publish something in rebuttal to the illegitimate newspapers, . and I had to say they couldn't," Dr. Charles Eastwood, adviser to the Student Council at Pioneer High, explained. Both he and Huron High Student Council Adviser Leonard Hoy said they "support the proposl, in its present context, whole-heartedly." The document, drawn up by the school publications' editors, states that a student may "publish at will" after signing five articles of ageement. These state when the publication can be distributed; what proportion can be commercial, and that the publication c o n t a i n "no name-calling, delibérate misquotation or rnalicious ridicules." The editors would be named on each issue and responsible for the contents. Several trustees questioned a provisión for unsigned articles and reprints of articles from other publications. It was feit that the project would be more meaningful if it contained only student ideas, and required the students to identify themselves. A committee of 10, equally composed of students and faculty members, would decide if there were infringements to the articles of agreement, and violators would be subject to action by the principáis. The proposal has only just been received by the high school faculties. Meanwhile, Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. said that, though he had assumed the free press was to be only a high school experiment, he received guidelines this week for a junior high school free press and these are "incompatible with those set down here." In other action the board unanimously passed a resolution to change the number of voting precincts for school board elections from seven to 35. Thirty of these will coincide with the city precincts. George Balas, business manager for the schools, who drew up the recommendation, pointed out that it allows the school district and city to hold combined elections any time if desirable. The average registration for each of the seven precincts is now 6,800. The new arrangements, though they may raise present election costs to $6,500 to $7,000 should draw greater numbers of voters, and require less staff at each polling place. The resignation of Thomas W. Hill, former chief negotiator for the Ann Arbor Public Schools since July, was accepted by the board. Hül will join the Management Education Center, a new división of KMS Industries, Inc. on Monday as associate director, and will be involyed with developing and I presenting seminars for school I administrators in the labor I relations area. A request by several Newport I Elementary School f a c u 1 1 y I members for an efficiënt I tilating system and carpeting to I cut down noise in specified I class rooms has been answered, I Westerman announced. Last week Westerman, upheld by a 5-2 vote from the board, denied the grievance appeal until the completion of an acoustical study. The delay in responding to the need was also caused by an absence of funds to finance the necessary measures, Westerman said. Although the faculty seems satisfied with the action taken, Harold Collins, president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, commented that it was feit that the grievance was handled poorly, and has a s k e d for a future discussion by the board on how such grievance hearings should be conducted.