A decision on state control of the Holyoke School District has been deferred.
In a statement issued on Friday, state Department of Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said it wishes to confer with district officials before making a final decision.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education took control of the public schools in 2015 to help improve graduation rates and test scores, and eventually put the district into receivership.
Holyoke has since improved its performance, provided new programs and invested more than 20-million dollars into the district's infrastructure.
Anthony Soto, superintendent of the schools and the receiver, has recommended the school transition out of that position.