THE OFFICIAL BOARD OF EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY OF GREENBURGH SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 8 STATES THAT THE SCHOOLS SHALL MEET THE NEEDS AND SHALL INTEREST AND CHALLENGE THE ABILITIES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD WITHIN AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL. IN ORDER TO CLARIFY AND REEMPHASIZE THESE GOALS, THE HISTORY OF SCHOOL DESEGREGATION AND INTEGRATION IN THIS DISTRICT IS RECOUNTED. THE STRUGGLE FOR SCHOOL INTEGRATION IS A STORY OF MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF PATIENT WORK BY BOTH WHITE AND NEGRO PEOPLE. IT BEGAN IN 1931 WHEN A NEGRO PASTOR ENTERED THE ELECTION FOR A SCHOOL BOARD POSITION. BITTER OPPOSITION AND THREATENED VIOLENCE FOLLOWED, BUT IN 1932, THE FIRST NEGRO IN NEW YORK STATE WAS ELECTED TO A SCHOOL BOARD POST. THE ELECTION OPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME AN OFFICIAL CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NEGROES AND WHITES. IN 1939, A STEP WAS TAKEN THAT RESULTED IN AN ENTIRELY NEGRO SCHOOL AND A SEGREGATED SCHOOL DISTRICT. AFTER THE WAR, THE DISTRICT'S SCHOOLS WERE FOUND TO BE SUBSTANDARD IN ALMOST EVERT RESPECT. ACTION TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION BEGAN IN 1947 WITH A VOTE OF 13 TO 1 BY THE DISTRICT CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS IN FAVOR OF COMPLETE SCHOOL INTEGRATION. PLANNING, HARD WORK, AND THE GOOD WILL OF MANY PEOPLE MADE POSSIBLE THE TRANSITION TO A RACIALLY INTEGRATED SCHOOL DISTRICT. BECAUSE SCHOOL INTEGRTION GOES DEEPER THAN SEATING NEGRO AND WHITE CHILDREN SIDE BY SIDE, A PROGRAM CALLED "PROJECT ABLE" WAS BEGUN IN DISTRICT 8 TO IDENTIFY AND PLAN ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR UNDERACHIEVING, CULTURALLY DEPRIVED CHILDREN. PROGRESS IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, GROUPING PRACTICES, TEACHER TRAINING, AND GUIDANCE SERVES UNDER "PROJECT ABLE" ARE DISCUSSED.