ST. LOUIS (AP) – The federal trial is over in a lawsuit alleging racial bias in the way school board members are elected in a district that includes Ferguson, but a ruling is still months away.

The trial in the American Civil Liberties Union’s lawsuit against the Ferguson-Florissant School District concluded Tuesday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel gave both sides until April 8 to file briefs and proposals on how he should rule. They have until April 22 to respond to those filings.

The suit alleges that the district’s practice of selecting board members at-large makes it more difficult for black candidates to win and violates the Voting Rights Act.

District attorney Cindy Ormsby says at-large elections are the best way to achieve proportional representation for blacks.