Hoping to regain the public's trust after a corruption scandal, Broward school district officials announced Wednesday morning they had selected a panel to delve into the school system's practices and come up with fixes.

Former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and attorney W. George Allen make up the Commission on Education Excellence through Integrity, Public Ethics and Transparency.

``It's the only thing we could do,'' said Superintendent Jim Notter.

At a news conference at school district headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, the men said they has asked for -- and been guaranteed -- complete independence in their efforts.

Their tasks include examining purchasing and procurement practices and looking at ethics policies and training -- issues that brought fierce scrutiny to the district and School Board.

Member Beverly Gallagher was arrested last month in a federal corruption probe involving the district's construction program. She has pleaded not guilty.

And board member Stephanie Kraft has been drawing criticism after it was revealed that her husband had done work for a frequent board lobbyist. District staffers have also said that Mitch Kraft was retained by a developer who got a $500,000 break on fees from the board in 2007.

``People of Broward County are obviously losing trust, and I applaud the School Board for taking the action it has taken today,'' Butterworth said.

Allen, a trial attorney based in Fort Lauderdale, said he expected the group would meet with some resistence.

``I have a reputation of ruffling feathers I've earned and intend to keep,'' he said.

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