Ruling upholds Texas education commissioner's authority to remove El Paso board members

El Paso (Texas) Independent School District trustees have lost an appeal to stop the state's education commissioner from stripping them of their power because of a districtwide cheating scheme that flourished under their watch. The El Paso Times says that a hearing officer with the Texas Education Agency has ruled that the agency has the authority to replace the elected school board with an appointed board of managers. But before the school board can be replaced, the federal government must weigh in. The Voting Rights Act requires the state to receive federal approval when making decisions that affect elections.