A Castaic School Board member said Thursday he will be resigning from the position.

Michael Lambarth announced his departure during a special meeting of the board.

“During the past several months I’ve been forced to examine my use of time,” Lambarth said. “I have experienced ill health affecting my full-time employment, and preventing me from meeting family and religious obligations.

“Due to these issues and changes in my personal schedule, I’ve determined I must step down from my seat on the Castaic USD Board. This is not due to any outside influence or concern, merely an understanding that I misjudged my ability to be a committed board member while simultaneously meeting the demands on my time.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to the other members of the governing board,” he said. “I very much admire the time and dedication they give to the people of our community, in the face of an adverse fiscal situation. Their work has kept our district among the best, despite challenging cuts. I can certainly appreciate more clearly now, the challenges they face and resolve on a regular basis. I deeply regret the need to leave, but do not see a way to avoid this choice. Thank you for your time.”

Lambarth joined the board in December 2015 after the terms of David Huffaker and Steven Teeman expired.

“(Lambarth said he doesn’t have) the time commitment to do it the right way and fully commit to be a board member. He just feels like something has to give,” said district Superintendent Steve Doyle.

According to Lambarth’s published biography, he has lived in Castaic for 10 years with his wife and three children.

“Mike volunteered as a missionary for his church in Venezuela for two years, and is a fluent Spanish speaker,” according to the bio. “He has a B.A. in Political Science from Brigham Young University. He has been a Police Officer for the City of Los Angeles since 2004, and is currently assigned to the Detective Bureau in the Abused Child Unit. Mike is active in his church youth group, currently serving as the Scoutmaster of Troop 491 in Castaic.”

During Thursday’s meeting, the board discussed their choice between appointing a replacement or conducting a special election.

The board chose to appoint a replacement instead of costing the district money to hold a special election, Doyle said. The board also discussed advertising the position to the community and the process in which the candidate would be interviewed.

“We have a phone and email notification system to send out the information to families and parents, we’ll send out a letter and hold an orientation,” Doyle said, adding that the district is planning to further advertise the position by using social media and send out press release to all media outlets.

The new board member must be a resident of Castaic, 18 years old and a legal citizen.

Board members are looking to have a new member chosen by their meeting on September 8, when the new member would be sworn in.