PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Board of Education Standards has another vacancy.

Steve Willard resigned Monday. The Belle Fourche school district superintendent made the announcement at the end of the morning meeting. It took effect immediately.

“I do not have the time to do this board justice,” Willard said.

Governor Kristi Noem will appoint a successor. There are seven seats on the board. Willard was one of three new members she appointed in 2021 to three-year terms; Terry Nebelsick of Huron and Linda Olsen of Dupree continue.

Willard and Nebelsick, the former Huron superintendent, were the only members to vote against the governor’s new social-studies standards last month.

The governor in the past year didn’t reappoint two other members, Jacqueline Sly of Rapid City and Becky Guffin of Aberdeen, replacing them with Rich Meyer of Rapid City and Steve Perkins of Sioux Falls.

In other action Monday, the board:

Approved adding career and technical education as a course area available through Northern State University’s program for bachelor-degree holders to gain their teacher certifications.

Approved South Dakota State University adding bachelor degrees in K-8 elementary education and K-12 special education. “This may help us put more teachers out into the workforce,” Olsen said.