Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut will depart from his role at the end of the current school year, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Thursday afternoon.

Edelblut, a Wilton resident, has served as the chief officer of New Hampshire’s Department of Education for the past eight years. 

“Commissioner Frank Edelblut has led the way in making our state’s education system more innovative and forward-thinking, and he has played a key role in expanding educational opportunities for families,” Ayotte said in a press release.

Ayotte said her office is launching a search for New Hampshire’s next Department of Education commissioner. The next person to hold the job will “build on this momentum,” Ayotte said, with a focus on improving academic performance and supporting teachers.

Edelblut is best known in New Hampshire for championing of the state’s Education Freedom Accounts, the state-funded vouchers that give money to families who wish to pursue alternative education for their children, like private school or homeschooling.

Edelblut was there at the start of the program in 2021 and has overseen its growth to more than 5,300 students this year.

“This agency remains committed to championing school choice, equipping educators with the tools they need to enhance learning and providing resources that empower students to thrive,” Edelblut said. “Recognizing that every student learns differently, we have led policy changes that ensure all children have access to educational opportunities tailored to meet their needs.”

Edelblut was first nominated to the job by Gov. Chris Sununu in 2017 after losing to Sununu in the GOP gubernatorial primary the year before. Prior to that, he served one term in the House of Representatives.

The State Board of Education released the following statement Thursday afternoon: ““The State Board of Education is grateful for Commissioner Frank Edelblut’s stalwart leadership and steadfast commitment to New Hampshire’s children. In 2017, Frank took over a department in desperate need of reform. He initiated a reorganization that improved service, responsiveness, accountability and efficiency. His many achievements include introducing Learn Everywhere and Innovation Schools, expanding charter schools and overseeing the longest, most inclusive rule-making process ever conducted for the state minimum standards. He’s led New Hampshire public education into a new era of thoughtful, student-focused innovation. New Hampshire’s public school system works better now than it did eight years ago, and he deserves all the credit for making that happen.”

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.