Texas' Perry appoints newspaper publisher to head school board

Shirley Jinkins | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has named Gail Lowe of Lampasas to chair the State Board of Education, ending a week of speculation among media and members of the board itself that outspoken conservative Cynthia Noland Dunbar of Richmond would be named to the post.

Dunbar said Thursday that she was not sure she wanted the post.

Lowe, a Republican, has served on the SBOE for seven years. Her term as chairman will begin immediately and expire Feb. 1, 2011. She replaces Don McLeroy of College Station, who recently failed to win approval from the Texas Senate.

SBOE is scheduled to meet next week, and an announcement from the governor was expected before Tuesday, the first day of the four-day meeting. Lowe is co-publisher of the Lampasas Dispatch Record and is a past trustee of the Lampasas Independent School District.

Read the full story at star-telegram.com

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