THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, October 26, 1995             TAG: 9510260438
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                         LENGTH: Medium:   77 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** CLARIFICATION The last paragraph of a MetroNews story Thursday about Portsmouth's first School Board election may have been confusing. Portsmouth voters have not elected board members in the past; they were appointed. Previous boards have had black majorities, however. Correction published Friday, October 27, 1995. ***************************************************************** PORTSMOUTH COUNCIL BACKS AT-LARGE PLAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD NOW THE PLAN MUST BE APPROVED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

The City Council voted 4-3 Wednesday to send the U.S. Justice Department an at-large plan for the city's first School Board election in May.

The council said it would submit the plan next week. The government has up to 60 days to respond. If it rejects the plan, it could call for the overhaul of Portsmouth's electoral system.

The decision angered residents who had urged the city to propose a plan with ward or district School Board seats, or a mixed system with ward and at-large seats.

The Rev. Chester R. Moody said he hoped the department would frown on the split vote and make the city reconsider. The council ``did not carry out the will or the wishes of the people,'' he said.

Opponents of an at-large School Board plan have been vocal, in some cases claiming to speak for large constituencies. Of the 20 residents who have appeared before the council to say what kind of plan they favored, 17 said they wanted wards or a mixed system.

Communities are more likely to work toward shared goals when decision-makers reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, races and backgrounds, they said. Wards are a better tool to make that happen, they said.

Vice Mayor Johnny Clemons and council members Bernard Griffin Sr. and Cameron Pitts opposed an at-large system. Griffin repeatedly has said that at-large plans often dilute minority voting strength.

But most council members agreed with Mayor Gloria O. Webb. The creation of wards would pit ``race against race, neighborhood against neighborhood, school against school,'' she said.

Last fall, voters approved the switch from an appointed to an elected board. Board members had been appointed at-large. But the council, which is elected at-large, didn't have to stick with that method.

Because Virginia has a history of voting-rights abuses, the Justice Department must approve city election plans. Five of nine board seats will be up for election May 7.

The item was one of the last to be taken up at Tuesday's meeting, which began at 7 p.m. The council approved the plan shortly before 12:30 a.m.

Before the final decision, Webb pointed out that city residents voted in the late 1950s to scrap their council ward system because many then believed it fostered discord.

Some black senior citizens say wards were scrapped because the number of black voters had increased sharply in several areas and whites didn't want an integrated council.

Members of Portsmouth Citizens for Better Education, which led the campaign to switch to an elected board, said they would urge the department to reject the at-large plan.

Last month, the council announced its support of at-large board seats weeks before its second and final public hearing on the matter.

That move led some residents to consider the matter a done deal. At the time, Griffin was the only council member who didn't embrace an at-large plan.

Portsmouth's voting-age population is about 55 percent white and 44 percent black. In recent years, voters have elected a black mayor, as well as black majorities on the board and council. The current board has five white members and four black members.

KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD by CNB