John Barros, who opened up a mayoral campaign committee last week, is resigning from the School Committee.

“I really feel the work of the School Committee is too important to be distracted by me as a candidate sitting on the School Committee,” he said on Tuesday.

Barros, who was first appointed to the 7-member School Committee in January 2010, said the final decision on his candidacy will come soon. He is the executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and a Dorchester resident.

His term on the School Committee was set to expire in January 2014. He was the first Cape Verdean to serve on the committee, according to a profile on the Boston Public Schools system’s website.

In a letter of resignation he sent to Mayor Thomas Menino, Barros said he was proud of their work together and “as a true Education Mayor, you have overseen the transformation of our system into a higher performing urban district.”

Barros added: “Continuing that work is of paramount importance to me. For that reason, I am seriously considering running for Mayor. Consequently, I have decided to resign from the Boston School Committee. The School Committee’s work should not be political, and the integrity of the work of the Committee will be threatened if political interest is perceived to influence decisions in any way.”

The letter, dated April 22, was also sent to Superintendent Carol Johnson and School Committee chair Michael O’Neill.

A source close to Barros told the Reporter last week that Barros will be a candidate for mayor.