Former state schools Superintendent Barbara Nielsen is no longer on Gov. Mark Sanford’s payroll as an education adviser.

Nielsen resigned from her two-day-a-week post this month so she can work with a national project on restructuring high schools and to campaign for Republican Rep. Jim DeMint, who is running against her successor, Democrat Inez Tenenbaum, for the U.S. Senate.

Will Folks, Sanford’s chief spokesman, said no replacement has been named.

Nielsen’s departure comes at a critical time for Sanford, who Tuesday announced that one of his 2005 legislative priorities is to continue pushing for passage of a law that would give tax credits to parents who choose to home-school their children or to send them to private or parochial schools.

Nielsen said Friday that, as a senior scholar at Clemson University’s Strom Thurmond Institute, she will work with the National Governors Association on its new initiative to analyze high schools’ strengths and weaknesses and recommend steps to fix their problems.

“I wanted to do some things nationally,” she said. “I wanted some flexibility with my schedule.”

Nielsen described her departure as amicable.

“I’m still going to be helping the governor,” she said. “He’s just not going to be paying me.”

In a prepared statement, Sanford expressed admiration for Nielsen. “I’m incredibly grateful for her efforts on behalf of our students, and obviously I wish her nothing but the best in the next chapter of her life and beyond.”

Nielsen’s departure creates a void in a post Sanford has had difficulty keeping filled since taking office 19 months ago. His first education adviser, Rita Allison of Lyman, left to work for the state Commission on Higher Education. Dennis Drew of Greenwood, who owns a chain of child-care centers, replaced Allison until Nielsen came on board in January.

Reach Robinson at (803) 771-8482 or brobinson@thestate.com.