A longtime State Department of Education official who serves as the point person for student engagement and school safety will be leaving his position.

Matt McCarter, the SDE’s director of student engagement/ career-technical readiness, is leaving the department after more than 12 years of service with the SDE, officials announced Friday.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and her team are launching a search “for a new leader for that important department.”

“This is a great opportunity for Matt, who will be chief advancement officer for the Treasure Valley YMCA, and I wish him the best in this new chapter,” Ybarra said in a written statement. “I’m happy that he will be able to use his skills and experience to serve our community and keep pursuing our objective of helping Idaho youth succeed.”

McCarter was named director of student engagement in September 2011, under previous schools chief Tom Luna. He appears on the front page of the SDE’s organizational/leadership chart.

In recent years, McCarter —alongside Ybarra — served as one of the public faces behind the SDE’s school safety initiatives. He regularly briefed lawmakers on policy issues, testified at committee hearings, led webinars for the public and educators and delivered key sections of Ybarra’s post legislative roadshow forum.

“Matt has been a strong and compassionate partner in our efforts to promote school safety, student wellbeing, suicide prevention, advanced opportunities, driver’s education and so much more,” Ybarra said.

McCarter will remain with the SDE through the end of May, SDE officials said. He first joined the SDE in February 2007.

“I’ve gotten the opportunity to do some really compelling and dynamic work for children and schools with the State Department of Education,” McCarter said in a written statement. “I’m looking forward to learning about a new organization and culture and applying some of the things I learned at the SDE in a new setting.”