SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota’s Board of Education Standards has been getting a lot of attention; the group will ultimately decide whether to move forward with changes to social studies standards.

So far the plan, which was revised by a retired Hillsdale College professor, is getting a lot of negative feedback from South Dakota educators.

Vera Tipton with the South Dakota Department of Education said this month that 1,094 public comments had been submitted since the proposed standards were released. As of Feb. 7, 117 were in support of the proposed standards, 940 were against them and 37 were neutral comments.

The Board of Education Standards has seven members: Steve Perkins, Julie Westra and Phyllis Heineman of Sioux Falls, Rich Meyer of Rapid City, Terry Nebelsick of Huron, Linda Olsen of Dupree and Steve Willard of Belle Fourche.

Gov. Kristi Noem appointed Perkins to the board earlier this month; the Sioux Falls businessman taught at Minnesota West Community and Technical College as well as Southwest Minnesota State University. Perkins has taught about real estate education and continuing education.

Heineman is a former math and economics teacher. Westra served on the Sioux Falls School Board. Olsen worked as a special education teacher in Dupree, and following retirement she started to teach at Oglala Lakota College. Nebelsick served as superintendent of the Huron School District as well as a principal in Huron, Salem and Lead. Willard is the current superintendent of the Belle Fourche School District.

These proposed social studies standards came out last August and were amended last month. There were public hearings in Aberdeen in September, Sioux Falls in November and in Rapid City last week; the fourth and final meeting is scheduled for April 17 in Pierre. According to the Department of Education, no action can be taken on the proposed standards until after the hearings.

Attempts by KELOLAND News to interview members of the Board of Education Standards were not successful on Monday.