Education Minister El James said he sacked CedarBridge Academy's board chairman and deputy chairman because he "wasn't happy with the progress being made".

Yesterday he refused to elaborate on why deputy chairman Lovitta Foggo was fired as the board's second-in-command.

However, the Education Minister confirmed that part of the reason chairman Mr. George Scott was fired was because he had served as chairman beyond the time allowed.

He said that Government is now looking through a "long list" of possible replacements the remaining executive board members resigned on hearing Mr. Scott and Ms Foggo had been sacked.

"When this issue came up, I also became aware of the fact that Mr. Scott was beyond his term and I also mentioned I wasn't happy with the progress being made so some changes had to be made," Mr. James told a press conference yesterday. "The changes were the deputy and the chairman."

Mr. Scott was informed he'd been fired last week.

A letter from Mr. James read in part: "It has been brought to my attention that you were first appointed to the CedarBridge Academy board of governors in 2004 and that at the end of 2009 you had served two consecutive terms on the board.

"Under the provisions of paragraph 2(3) of schedule 2 of the Education Act 1996, a person may not be appointed as a member of a board of governors for more than two consecutive terms. I have received legal advice which confirms that, as Minister, I do not have discretion in this matter, and as a consequence, you should not have been reappointed to the board in 2010."

Mr. Scott was asked to vacate the position immediately.

Yesterday Mr. James said Mr. Scott had been allowed to continue with a third term because "it was so close to the end of the year".

"[It was the] time where we start looking for new members; we thought we could get through it without having to change. But now it's become obvious that it's going on and it's escalated."

Mr. James yesterday denied rumours that the school was bankrupt. Questioned by the media, he claimed that he didn't know anything about there being $500,000 unaccounted for when CedarBridge Academy was last audited.

He also denied claims that a formal complaint was made to Cabinet that he and Education permanent secretary Kevin Monkman had been "meddling" in school affairs.

"It would be absurd," he said. "That is my affair. Anything that happens, this is where the buck stops. I don't think there's any meddling. The Minister has to stand and account for."

The school became entangled in court proceedings with its board members earlier this year.

Bussie Ible was fired by the board on May 3 — hours after a court order was granted preventing the board from dismissing any of the school's managers.

The board went on to fire two more managers, but was forced to withdraw the letters of termination to escape being in contempt of court.

Asked for an update yesterday Mr. James said: "It will still be in the hands of the board. We had worked out with the managers that the managers and the board will sit down. And they have a mediator that will sit down and hear the two cases. [But] it will be with a new board."

He continued: "We sat down today and came up with a short list that we will have to contact and ask individuals if they can serve.

"I can't remember how many names we put. We have a long list, not a short list."

Asked why he felt the board members resigned, Mr. James said: "I don't know. I'm assuming that it's because they are the ones who were privy to any directions that I had given.

"In stating that I wasn't happy, I guess they all viewed themselves in the same vote.

"There were some things that I wasn't happy with. We have a lot of ongoing issues that the board have been dealing with."