Dear residents of Greene County,
My name is Audrey Hinote. I have called Greene County home for all of my 33 years. I grew up in Cooper next door my dad’s welding business, graduated from Jefferson-Scranton High School in 2003, and lived in Greene County while attending college in Carroll to pursue a degree in education. I teach second grade at Greene County Elementary and have been teaching in the district for the past nine years. The upcoming school bond vote has me excited as an educator and also as a parent.
My husband and I have made a choice to raise our family of four children in Greene County. We love everything about our community. The upcoming school bond and career academy has me very excited for our future here and the education of our children.
I was able to take advantage of dual-enrollment courses 15 years ago and obtain courses that helped the pursuit of my bachelor’s degree in education.
Today’s students are still able to take dual enrollment. However, having a career academy would allow students to receive post secondary training here in town toward specialized programs and even graduate with an associate’s degree at the same time they graduate with a high school diploma. This will make them available for the workforce immediately following graduation, or give them the opportunity to go on and further their education.
My excitement for high school graduates is personal. I want all kids to be able to pursue post-secondary education. Our career academy will allow our students to be career ready with specific strands such as advanced manufacturing, precision agriculture, computer software, and culinary arts developed to meet the needs of employers within our community. We will have all these opportunities right here in Greene County for our kids.
I was a second grader when our community supported a new elementary building on Russell Street. Thank you for voting YES in the ’90s and allowing me the opportunity to attend elementary school with a brand new computer lab, an opportunity that wasn’t available to all small elementary schools at that time. I would like to encourage you to vote YES again, for our kids, the economic development of Greene County, and our future.
Audrey Hinote
Jefferson
