State superintendent of public instruction Sherri Ybarra will teach kindergarten in the Mountain Home School District after she departs the State Department of Education Jan. 2.

State superintendent-elect Debbie Critchfield, who beat out Ybarra in the May Republican primary election, will be sworn in Jan. 6.

The move marks Ybarra’s return to the classroom after eight years leading Idaho schools. For over two decades before she took office in 2015, the superintendent taught third grade in Mountain Home and served as an administrator and federal programs director in the district.

She will teach at Stephensen Elementary School in her home district, starting Jan. 4.

“I really look forward to working on the Mountain Home Air Force Base with children who share the special pride and challenges of having parents who serve our nation,” Ybarra said in a Monday news release. “Serving eight years as Idaho’s superintendent of public instruction has been an honor and a privilege, and I’ve loved working with schools, students and families throughout the state.”