Sherri Ybarra is an American politician and educator who served as superintendent of public instruction of Idaho. She was first elected to the position in 2014.

Early life and education

Ybarra earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from

West Liberty University West Liberty University (WLU) is a public university in West Liberty, West Virginia. It is West Virginia's oldest institution of higher education. It offers more than 70 undergraduate majors plus graduate programs, including a master's degree ...

and Master of Arts in educational leadership from the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...

Career

Ybarra worked as a teacher and a high school principal in

Mountain Home, Idaho Mountain Home is the largest city and county seat of Elmore County, Idaho, United States. The population was 15,979 in the 2020 census. Mountain Home is the principal city of the Mountain Home, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...

area before becoming superintendent. A supporter of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

, Ybarra criticized the Trump administration’s 2017 proposal that would have reduced the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

's budget by 13.5 percent.

Elections

In the 2014 election, Ybarra defeated John R. Eynon, Andrew Grover, and Randy Jensen, earning 28.7% of the vote in the Republican primary. Ybarra defeated former chief deputy superintendent of public instruction Jana Jones, earning 50.6% of the vote, in the general election. On December 16, 2015 she announced that she intended to seek a second term. On October 11, 2017 she launched her official reelection campaign. She defeated Jeff Dillon, superintendent of the Wilder School District in the Republican primary with 58.9% of the vote. In 2018, Ybarra defeated Cindy Wilson, former Capital High School teacher, in the general election with 51.4% of the vote. In 2022, Ybarra faced former state legislator

Branden Durst Branden John Durst (born January 15, 1980) is a former politician from Boise, Idaho, Boise, Idaho. Durst represented Idaho's 18th Legislative District in the Idaho Senate from 2012 to 2013. He previously represented Idaho's 18th Legislative Distr ...

as well as former State Board of Education member and

Cassia County Cassia County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 Census the county had a population of 24,655. The county seat and largest city is Burley. Cassia County is included in the Burley, ID Micropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

School Board member Debbie Critchfield in the Republican primary. Ybarra placed last, earning approximately 27% of the vote, with Critchfield emerging the victor.

Personal life

Ybarra is married and has one child. Ybarra's husband is of

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

descent.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ybarra, Sherri 21st-century American politicians Idaho Republicans Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Superintendents of Public Instruction of Idaho University of Idaho alumni West Liberty University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)