BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A federal judge in Alabama is delaying her order to let a mostly white Birmingham suburb break away from a county school system.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala postponed her order about the city of Gardendale’s attempt to form a school district after a hearing Tuesday.
The judge presides in a long-running lawsuit over desegregation of Jefferson County schools. She previously ruled Gardendale could leave the county system and run its own schools even though she believed the move had racial motives.
Haikala originally said Gardendale could start operating a school system this fall with two elementary schools and bring other campuses in later.
The judge delayed the split, but she says Gardendale and Jefferson County can hold talks about completing a separation within three years.
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