PLAINTIFFS COMPLAINED THAT THE VALLEY SCHOOL, ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN MANHASSET, NEW YORK, WAS SEGREGATED. NEGROES IN THE VALLEY AREA LIVED AT A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL. TYPICALLY, THEIR CHILDREN WERE FROM 2 TO 3 YEARS BEHIND THE NORMS IN READING ACHIEVEMENT. EXCERPTS FROM THE COURT CASE, R. BLOCKER VERSUS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF MANHASSET, INVOLVE THE BASIC CONTENTION THAT SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, WHETHER DE JURE OR DE FACTO, ARE INFERIOR AND DEPRIVE CHILDREN OF MINORITY GROUPS OF EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE DEFENDANTS ARGUED THAT MINORITY SCHOOLS ARE NOT INFERIOR AND THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENTAL PATTERN OF HOUSING WHICH LED TO THE ETHNIC IMBALANCE. LEGAL PRECEDENTS WERE PRESENTED. THE DEFENSE DEFENDED THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL POLICY CONTENDING THAT A HOMOGENEOUS STUDENT BODY AFFORDS A GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR OPTIMUM BENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS BECAUSE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CAN BE DESIGNED TO MEET THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS. THE TEACHING STAFF DID NOT SUPPORT THIS VIEW. THE DOCTRINE SET BY THE COURT INCLUDED THAT, BY MAINTAINING AND PERPETUATING A SEGREGATED SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE DEFENDANT BOARD TRANSGRESSED THE PROHIBITIONS OF THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT. HOWEVER, THE COURT DID NOT HOLD THAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES A COMPULSIVE DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN ON THE BASIS OF RACE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION OF WHITE AND NEGRO CHILDREN IN EACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT.