He said he decided months ago to give up his position as leader of the body, which shapes and oversees state education policy. He will, however, remain a member of the board for the rest of his three-year term, he said.

"I've spent thousands of hours in this work, but I can honestly say that I have enjoyed it very much," Burningham said.

Burningham said he's partly stepping down because he's exhausted from the long school voucher campaign and partly because of his wife's health issues. He said she has long suffered from multiple sclerosis and has eyesight problems.

He said he has other reasons as well that are personal, but didn't elaborate. Burningham has been one of the most vocal opponents of vouchers over the past several months.

"Frankly, I'm exhausted from the intensity of the work over the last months," Burningham told fellow board members.

Burningham has been chairman of the school board for seven of the nine years he has served. Before joining the school board he served in the Legislature for 15 years and worked as a public schoolteacher for 27 years.

During his announcement at Friday's school board meeting, Burningham complimented State Superintendent Patti Harrington and her staff on the way they run the Utah Office of Education. He also expressed appreciation for former State Superintendent Steve Laing, among others.

Several state education leaders thanked Burningham for his service after the meeting

"He's been a tremendous leader," board member Randall Mackey said. "He's given us great guidance and been able to bring a very diverse board together."

Burningham declined to say who he would like to see replace him as head of the board.

He said the board will likely elect a new chairman at its December meeting.

lschencker@sltrib.com