Reasons Given For Public-Private School Talks' Halt

A member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education last night gave his reply to Dr. Cari C. Hug's open letter of Feb. 17, which asked for a formal explanation of the board's Feb. 4 decisión to discontinue talks'on possible cooperative programs between public and private supported schools. Trustee Ronald C. Bishop, cochairman with St. Francis School Board Chairman Hug of a now defunct public-parochial school committee formed last fall to discuss ways of aiding the financiaEy troubled parochial schools, said he voted against any further talks for three main reasons: -He thinks such aid is unconstitutional; -He sees aid to non-public schools as "encouraging the development o f segregated schools;" - Parents who choose to cate their children outside of the public schools have their own responsibility to pay for this. Bishop's statement read, in part: "I think that aid to parochial schools from tax money is unconstitutional and that aid to nonpublic schools in general is inappropriate. Dr. Hug quotes the Britton report and says that this aid in certain forms is constitutional. Our attorney advised us that such programs were not legal. I chose to abide by Mr. (Roscoe O.) Bonisteel's opinión. "1 visualize the policy of aid to non-public schools in any f orm as encouraging the development o f segregated schools. Although this segregation would not be specifically described in the development of the school, de facto segregation might be accomplished on the basis of economie status, religión or even race. 'Every 'child of school age who resides legally in this district has a right to an education, and the public meets its obligation concerning this by providing the public school system. If the child and his parents choose to have' the child educated elsewhere, it is their responsibility to meet the financial obliga tions for this." Bishop said he sees "no harm" from a legal standpoint in several Catholic parents' suggestion that parochial students elect some courses in the public schools and vice versa. But "as a practical matter," he said, "I do not see how a fullscale shared-time program could possibly work. Transportation costs, scheduling problems and time lost in transit would far outweigh the advantages." Bishop's reply, which will be formally sent to Hug, will apparently be the board's answer to Hug. School Board President Harold J. Lockett said it would be difficult to embody in a letter all the diverse reasons the trustees had for voting against further talks. But the main reason, Lockett said, involved legal imlications. Trustee Henry Johnson said he saw Hug's letter as a ploy lo I "keep the fire going" on the I issue, and offered his opinión I tbat the board's reasons to eut I off talks were well knawn. I