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into the Constitution, and part of the thinking seems to be

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that this is a constitutional reward to be offered to

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boards that have existed for a long time and have apparent-

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ly done their job quite well. Delegate Wheatley said that

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local boards have been in existence since 1826, and they have

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stood the test of time, and the same is true with the

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State Board of Education, which has stood the test of

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time; and therefore its powers and responsibilities should

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be set out in the Constitution.

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We submit that this backward looking approach

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of testing a setup and a statute for a while and then mov-

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ing it along and graduating it, to use an educational

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term, into the Constitution is a dangerous one and will

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frustrate to a great degree the intent, I am sure, of the

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educators of this State, because it will allow them no

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further flexibility.

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Now, I want to talk for a minute about the

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relationship between the State Board and local boards.

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It has been suggested that this is a "delicate

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balance". The Majority agrees or has suggested it is a

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delicate balance, but the Minority feels the balance would