When the new school year begins at Greene County Elementary on August 23rd, there will be a new lead administrator.

Audrey Hinote is a 2003 Jefferson-Scranton High School graduate and earned her teaching degree in 2005 through a partnership program with Des Moines Area Community College in Carroll and the University of Northern Iowa. She spent her first year as a substitute teacher before working as a first grade teacher at Perry Elementary. Then in 2009, she was hired as an elementary teacher at then Jefferson-Scranton, now Greene County Elementary. The last three years, she served as the district math specialist and is now the new elementary principal.

Hinote talks about what inspired her to be a teacher.

“I helped in a special ed classroom at our high school with just some other students that were in special ed, and I loved it. I loved seeing how they learned, I loved working with them, (and) I loved the challenge that it brought. How do we teach them the things that they need to know? And I had a great experience doing that.”   

Hinote describes a theme she wants to continue from her time as a teacher and now as an administrator.

“One thing that I am really passionate about is just putting kids first. That was something that I was really passionate about in the classroom: kids first, families first. This just broadens my scope of who I can serve. Just bringing the great education that we already have here at Greene County Elementary and making sure everybody, all of our elementary families and students know that that’s what we have for them here.”

Hinote is excited to welcome back all of the elementary students, parents and staff.