Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I tell if a school is an equalization school?
Schools constructed in the 1950s as equalization schools are very distinctive architecturally. To preliminarily determine if a school dates to the 1950s, look for these characteristics:
- flat roof
- one- or two-story building
- concrete and steel frames
- brick veneer
- large window openings for banks of windows
- recreational fields
Aiken County is an exception--because of the construction of the Savannah River Site in the early 1950s, the federal government constructed a number of schools for the site's workers in the same architectural style. The county did receive some equalization school funding.
2. How many schools were constructed as part of the program? Where is a complete list of schools?
According to the South Carolina State Archives, the records associated with school construction in the 1950s were destroyed by poor storage.When the Department of Education transferred the records to the Archives for retention, most of the records had been lost by mold and water damage. Therefore, there are no firm records of school applications and modifications for the equalization program, although there is one microfilm of blueprints for schools. This website is an attempt to use the community to collect a complete list of schools constructed under the equalization school program.
The program funded new school construction, additions to existing schools, upgrades to existing schools, school equipment (desks, laboratory equipment, physical education equipment), and school buses. Overall, expenditures (for all funds) under the first five years of the equalization program (1951 to 1956) total $214 million.
3. When was the last equalization school built?
By 1955, newly-elected governor George Bell Timmerman declared that the equalization program was addressing the needs of black students and “separate but equal” provisions. Governor Timmerman encouraged the continuation of the program, but the funding began to be equalized between white and black school construction. The State Educational Finance Commission approved construction for at least one black high school in each county by 1956. At the end of the decade, the majority of black schools approved by the commission had been constructed and opened for students. By 1960, school construction funding was once again skewed toward white schools.
The period of sustained black school construction to create “separate but equal” schools was focused between 1951 and 1959.
4. My school was built in 1950. Isn’t that close enough for these schools?
Not to be associated with the statewide equalization program! The equalization program, including the sales tax that funded the program, began in April 1951 when enacted by the General Assembly. The State Educational Finance Commission that governed the school construction program was not active until July 1951. The
first schools built under the program were Scotts Branch High School (Clarendon County) and in Spartanburg and Jasper Counties. Most schools under the equalization program were built in 1952 and later.
5. In my community, our elementary school opened in 1955 and looks like all the schools on this website. But this school was for white students?!
While the equalization program was aimed toward improving and constructing school buildings for black students, South Carolina felt the need to fund white schools to ensure white support for the program.The equalization program funded mostly black schools at the beginning of its effort, but by the late 1950s, the majority of school construction funds were allocated to white schools.
6. Who can get my equalization school listed in the National Register of Historic Places?
You can! If an equalization school retains historic character and integrity, it may meet the criteria for listing in the National Register. A historic context has been accepted for use by the National Park Service for assistance in nominating these schools.
The first step to determine if a school could be listed in the National Register is to complete a Preliminary Information Form. This form requests a history of the building (when was it built? who designed the building? did the funding come from the State Educational Finance Commission? was it a white or black school?); an architectural description (any changes or additions? when?); photographs; and a map.
These materials are submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office for review and a preliminary determination that the school is eligible for the National Register. Once the SHPO makes this determination, then an official nomination to the National Park Service should be prepared and submitted. For more information on this process, see this document.
7. Is just the school building historic?
The State Educational Finance Commission required school districts to survey existing schools and neighborhoods and carefully plan the locations of new schools. Schools were sited in existing neighborhoods and generally had outdoor recreational facilities. The historic character and location of the schools is an imporant aspect. When assessing the historic character of an equalization school, consider these "outside" issues as well:
The State Educational Finance Commission required school districts to survey existing schools and neighborhoods and carefully plan the locations of new schools. Schools were sited in existing neighborhoods and generally had outdoor recreational facilities. The historic character and location of the schools is an imporant aspect. When assessing the historic character of an equalization school, consider these "outside" issues as well:
- Relation to neighborhood--central? on periphery? rural?
- Age of surrounding neighborhood--historic?
- Traffic patterns--how do neighborhood children access the school?
- Recreation--playgrounds, ball fields, track, etc.
- Fencing and gates to the schools
8. How can I save my school? Where can I find money?
Funding for rehabilitation, or "brick and mortar" projects, especially for the purposes of historic preservation, is difficult to find. The first step in saving a school would be to determine a viable and sustainable re-use for the school building. The type of re-use may suggest funding sources (i.e. a community center may qualify for Community Development Block Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). The State Historic Preservation Office wrote a guide to help in planning a rehabilitation project: Make Your Dream a Reality: A Community Group Guide to a Historic Preservation Project.Other funding resources may include:
- School alumni
- Local churches
- Local non-profit organizations
- Local businesses