Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan has announced that the earlier decision to close Drexel Catholic High School has been deferred for further study.

He said the final decision on the future of the school will be made Thursday, April 6. The archbishop’s announcement followed meetings with parents of children at the Negro school and with four graduates, now attending college.

A meeting of the Archdiocesan Board of Education, parents of children at the school and the archbishop will be held Saturday to examine the entire problem. Last Saturday Samuel McQuaid, chairman of the school board; Father William Hoffman, Drexel principal; Father Daniel J. O’Connor, secretary for education; Sister Vincent and members of the school’s faculty met with parents.

In his meeting with the students Monday, Archbishop Hallinan said, “There is only one basic criteria for judgement in this case—the best education possible for all students, white and Negro.

“Mistakes in judgment can be made on all sides of any disagreement. But only if this criteria of excellence prevails will the Catholic Church and the community of Atlanta be properly served.

“If we have made mistakes in closing Drexel, it will be necessary to correct them. But if further studies indicate that the school cannot retain its excellence because the small enrollment does not allow for a proper diversity of courses, etc., the decision may turn out to be the right one for the students. Further investigation will show all of us the right answer.”

The closing of the school in June was announced last week by Archbishop Hallinan, who said its pupils would be transferred to other Catholic schools.

The archbishop said the decision was made to provide educational facilities not possible in the school which has 156 pupils and to end de facto segregation of Drexel which has resulted from its location in a predominately Negro neighborhood.

Archbishop Hallinan said that many white Catholics were reluctant to send their children to the school. “This simply indicates the scope of the racial problem facing the Church in the South,” he commented.