School board won’t fire administrator

A beleaguered West Texas school board has decided not to fire a top administrator in the wake of a testing scandal that has already put the district on probation.

The El Paso School Board withdrew the motion to dismiss an assistant superintendent and started the termination of an assistant high school principal.

Last week, the Texas education commissioner named a new board to replace the trustees. Federal voting rights laws require the new board to first get Justice Department approval.

Ex-Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia was sentenced in October to more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to the scheme. But punishment for other administrators linked to the scandal has come more slowly.

The Texas Education Agency warned the district it should assess harsh punishment to those involved.