Prior to desegregation in 1970 and 1971, there had been minimal effort directed toward the reduction of racial isolation in the schools of Williamsburg County, South Carolina. Black students first enrolled in all white schools in 1965 after the school system began operating on a freedom of choice basis. In 1970 the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) provided the impetus toward more complete school desegregation. Additional desegregation affecting about 6,000 students took place with the pairing of 9 schools. In 1971, HEW required the county to take further action: four remaining county schools with grades K-12 were paired. They had a total of 2,500 students. Changes took place in the structure of elementary education at the time of desegregation. No increase in the number of students bused or in the length of time spent riding the bus was reported by school administrators. Approximately 50% of the faculty was transferred as a result of desegregation. Faculty received biracial and bicultural training after the opening of school in 1970. Desegregation has been very successful. The system complied with HEW guidelines and litigation was not necessary. Although tension did exist initially and still does, desegregation has been peaceful and the schools have functioned without interruption. Current testing indicates that the preschool ability level of students is improving and that the gap between blacks and whites and that between children from lower and upper economic families is narrowing. (Author/AM)