The Texas Education Agency is initiating the next step in their recommendation to install a board of managers to oversee the La Joya Independent School District.

On Wednesday, the TEA website started accepting applications for those looking to serve on the board and replace the district’s elected board of trustees, according to the job description.

“The board of managers will assume all of the powers and authority previously held by the board of trustees,” the website stated.

The recommendation for TEA to replace the school board and oversee the district came after a year-long investigation into La Joya ISD due to years of allegations of school board members and employees engaging in fraud and breaking conflict of interest laws.

RELATED STORY: TEA report recommends La Joya school board be replaced by board of managers

The report, which was finalized in May, referenced the guilty pleas of former school board trustees Oscar Salinas, Armin Garza, and former district employees Alex Guajardo and Rodrigo Lopez, who were all arrested on federal charges of bribery and extortion.

The report also referenced current school board president Alex Cantu, who they alleged failed to disclose his wife was a director of a nonprofit organization that the district entered into a partnership with to provide after-school meals to students.

The school board voted to dispute the TEA recommendations in a hearing set for next month.

RELATED STORY: La Joya ISD votes to dispute TEA recommended takeover

Read the full statement from the district below:

According to the TEA website, two community meetings will be held in the coming weeks to provide information on the roles of the board of managers.

The first meeting is set for Monday, July 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Peñitas Public Library. A second meeting will be held the following day in Sullivan City at the Sullivan City Memorial Park at 6:30 p.m.