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Barbara Cargill Named New State Board of Education Chair

Barbara Cargill is the newly appointed chair of the State Board of Education.
Caleb Bryant Miller, Texas Tribune
Barbara Cargill is the newly appointed chair of the State Board of Education.

For the first time since 2005, the Texas Senate has confirmed someone to serve a full term as head of the State Board of Education. Barbara Cargill, a Republican from The Woodlands, was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2011.

Cargill has supported a measure that requires students to question evolution. State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, says Cargill reassured him that she would not allow her religious conservatism to interfere with her leadership of the board.

“I felt like this is someone who will serve the people of Texas as the chair of the State Board of Education better than her predecesssors,” Watson said. “She was certainly answering questions and making promises and commitments better than her predecessors.”

Cargill’s predecessors were Don McLeroy and Gail Lowe, both religious conservatives who failed to win Senate confirmation.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion-dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on X @KUTnathan.
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