CROTHERSVILLE

Since earning her master’s degree in educational leadership in 2017, Whitney Reinhart has been waiting for the right administrative role to come along.

After learning the Crothersville Elementary School principal’s job would be open at the end of this school year, she applied.

She went through her second interview May 3 and was offered the job two days later, and she accepted. Then May 10, the Crothersville Community School Corp. board of school trustees unanimously approved her two-year 240-day contract, effective July 1.

It wasn’t until the end of the process that she learned she will be the first female administrator for Crothersville schools.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity and the belief that the school board and Dr. (Terry) Goodin had in me to fulfill this position,” the 33-year-old Seymour native said. “It’s a place that I’ve heard good things about, and that attracted me to apply there. It speaks highly of the good things they have going already.”

Reinhart graduated from Seymour High School in 2007 and received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University in 2011.

She then spent two years teaching with Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. before teaching first grade in her hometown at Margaret R. Brown Elementary School.

“It’s very rewarding to be a classroom teacher and watching the growth of your kids every day,” Reinhart said. “I believe without a doubt, teachers make the biggest impact and are the most important stakeholder in the building besides the students.”

While teaching at Brown, she worked very closely with instructional coach Bridget Longmeier and saw what a positive difference strong building leadership can make, so she worked toward a master’s degree in educational leadership through Western Governors University.

During that process, she completed her principal practicum with Todd Behmlander, principal at Immanuel Lutheran School in Seymour, which is where Reinhart attended before SHS.

She then transitioned to the instructional coach role at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School.

“I became really passionate about building leadership, and in this role, I’ve worked very closely with administrators,” she said. “Even though I haven’t been in that administrative role, I’ve had a lot of leadership opportunities with teachers and staff, so I worked more closely with staff than directly with students on professional development and training of teachers to make a positive impact on the students.”

Earning her master’s degree, Reinhart said she wanted to pursue a leadership position at some point.

“When this Crothersville opportunity came up, I thought maybe it would be a good fit,” she said. “Then going down there and meeting the superintendent and the school board and a couple of teachers, it was evident right away that it was going to be the right fit for me.”

The first interview was with Goodin, Crothersville Classroom Teachers Association President Cassondra Kelly and a couple of school board members. The second one was with all five board members.

“It was very obvious to me talking with the school board members, who also are parents of (students), how passionate they are about their school and how much they want to see it succeed,” Reinhart said. “After talking with them, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of with them. … Their enthusiasm was contagious. I think we had a lot of the same values talking with each other.”

Sometime this summer, Reinhart said she hopes to have an informal meeting with the teachers. Then she will meet with them for staff orientation and in-service Aug. 2. The first day for students is Aug. 3.

“I really want to get to know the staff and students professionally and personally and see what their goals are and what they truly need in a leader,” she said.

“I look forward to sharing the successes and great things that are happening and promoting our school so that people see all of the great things that are happening at Crothersville Elementary,” she said. “I just look forward to helping make Crothersville schools be the best they can be. I could not be more excited about it.”

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Name: Whitney Reinhart

Age: 33

Hometown: Seymour

Residence: Seymour

Education: Seymour High School (2007); Indiana University (bachelor’s degree in elementary education, 2011); Western Governors University (master’s degree in educational leadership, 2017)

Occupation: Recently named the new principal at Crothersville Elementary School

Family: Husband, Scott Reinhart; sons, Jaxon, Knox and Hudd

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