The City of Gardendale will not make further efforts to form a school system, according to a letter sent to the Jefferson County Board of Education today. The letter, signed by Mayor Stan Hogeland and Gardendale Board of Education President Michael Hogue, said the city will continue to support the schools in the city. 

“This letter is to inform you that legal counsel from GBOE will be in short course filing an official notice with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama notifying the court that Gardendale will not make any request for rehearing; nor will we appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the letter states.

The letter then discusses the hopes that the city and county BOE can work together to “foster the educational opportunities for the children who attend schools in Gardendale.” It includes a promise of financial support for the schools from the city, as well as the continued support of city services from various departments. 

Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland said he hopes this decision will bring the community back together. 

“I got a text message this afternoon, right after the news got out that just simply said ‘Let the healing begin,'” Hogeland said. “It has been emotional, it has been tiring and I really believe that’s what we need now, time to heal.”

Gardendale’s decision to halt attempts for a school system comes after a federal appeals court labeled the efforts “racist” and overturned a lower court opinion that the school system could move forward. 

Hogeland said the city leaders began to hear from members of the public, including staunch supporters, that they were tired of the fighting and the negative publicity and were ready to stop the efforts at this time.

“This was a unanimous decision of the board and the council,” Hogeland said. “We all agreed.”

Hogeland also said he believed the the original intent was to improve school services for the four Gardendale schools and he remains committed to that. 

A resident of Gardendale has also recently filed a class action lawsuit asking that the city return the taxes collected for the school system and stop collecting the tax revenue. It is not immediately clear what impact this decision would have on that or what will happen to the tax money collected.