The Texas Education Agency will assign someone to oversee the Lancaster Independent School District. That conservator will be responsible for making sure that the school board complies with state laws.
The board will also have to come up with a corrective action plan after a Texas Education Agency investigation found that the board violated the Texas education code and the Texas constitution.
In the fall of 2020, the Lancaster ISD board of trustees voted to renew the contract with then-Superintendent Dr. Elijah Granger. Less than two weeks later, the board voted to dismiss Granger with a $2 million payout. Shortly after that, the board backed out of that separation agreement and decided to fire Granger without pay.
An investigation by the Texas Education Agency found that the Lancaster ISD violated a section of the Texas education code that deals with how school districts may spend funds, along with a section of the Texas Constitution that deals with the use of public money.
Lancaster ISD posted a statement on its web site acknowledging the TEA's decision.
"We thank the Texas Education Agency for doing their due diligence in conducting a thorough investigation, and we take the appointment of a conservator seriously," Lancaster ISD Board President Marion Hamilton said. "As a collective board, we are committed to working with the conservator and developing a comprehensive corrective action plan to prevent our district from returning to a non-compliance status."
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news