ATLANTA (AP) — More than 400 people have applied for positions on the beleaguered DeKalb County school board after Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal removed two-thirds of its members.

Wednesday was the deadline for applications to the board for the metro Atlanta school system. A federal judge on Monday allowed the governor's removal of six of the nine school board members to move forward, although legal questions remain.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported (http://bit.ly/YZyFMq) that Deal, under pressure to get the vacant positions filled fast, promised that the process would not be "weeks-long."

DeKalb County, Georgia's third-largest school district, was put on probation in December by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools after a six-month investigation. The accreditation agency cited long-term leadership issues including nepotism, fiscal mismanagement, inappropriate micromanagement and intimidation within the district.