during the 1950s, school segregation was required in fifteen u.s states. however, kansas was not one of these states. instead, school segregation was permitted by local option, but only in elementary schools. in 1896, the ruling from "plessy v. ferguson" stated that segregation was allowed, but equal facilities should be made available for blacks and whites. often, however, black schools received less funding and had fewer textbooks than white schools.