Question

1. which statement best explains why the public school system created during reconstruction was both a success and a failure?○ it allowed all southern children to get an education, but segregation made it expensive.○ it encouraged racial understanding, but widespread corruption made it too expensive.○ it encouraged racial understanding, but girls were not allowed to attend the schools.○ it allowed all southern children to get an education, but since the schools were integrated, many white children did not attend.

Explanation:

During Reconstruction, the public school system in the South marked a success by establishing universal public education access for the first time, including Black children who were previously excluded. However, it was a failure because segregation required running separate school systems for white and Black students, doubling costs and straining budgets, making the system far more expensive than it would have been for integrated schools. The other options are incorrect: Reconstruction-era southern schools were segregated, not integrated; girls were allowed to attend; and corruption was not the core reason for the system's mixed success.

Answer:

A. It allowed all southern children to get an education, but segregation made it expensive.