Principal settles into new role
Scott Hinton takes over Principal position at Granville High School for the 2022-23 school year. He replaced Matt Durst, the previous Principal of 8 years. His leaderhsip is spearheaded by student and staff engagement, as he has an open door policy and his actions are directed by the question, “How can I help?”
October 7, 2022
At a home football game, principal Scott Hinton got his first look at the school’s student section and said he was amazed by the school spirit and yet fearful of the bleachers
“That thing bounces, it’s like a trampoline,” Hinton said, adding that he has faith in the engineers.
Two months into his new position, Hinton is focused on student and staff engagement.
Mr. Hinton took over the job from Matt Durst, the previous principal of 8 years who resigned to join his family trucking business, Arctic Express, after 18 years with Granville Schools.
Hinton hails from Amanda, a small town south of Granville where he taught social studies and math, eventually becoming a graduation adviser and principal at Amanda Clearcreek High School.
Hinton credits an enormous amount of his knowledge to the lessons he learned at Amanda. He said that there he found his passion for learning and his dislike for the word boss, something his previous faculty commemorated with the gift of a “World’s Best Boss” mug that he keeps on his desk.
“I loved school,” Hinton said, citing this love as the motivation for becoming a teacher.
Mr. Hinton can usually be spotted outside the main entrance to the high school every morning with a big smile on his face.
He sees his job at GHS to be less of a trailblazer and more of a facilitator.
“My job is to give students and teachers the opportunity to voice their desires for change,” he said. “[And] sometimes change is actually staying the same.”
Furthermore, he disparages the perceived power imbalance he has compared to the teachers. Hinton believes that school employees care deeply about the students, regardless of how they are helping them, and a constant level of respect should be given to all staff, regardless of position or perception of power.
Hinton says working in a school is a difficult job, and teachers deserve the same respect he receives, a lesson he learned from his mother, an employee of 35 years at Amanda Clearcreek Elementary School’s cafeteria.
I want every person in this building to have the opportunity to succeed — Scott Hinton
In terms of his vision for the school, Hinton wants happiness for every person that walks in and out of the doors each day. He said he is making a conscious effort to shift the school’s focus from academic achievement at the cost of one’s mental health, to personal achievement that extends into academics.
“I want every person in this building to have the opportunity to succeed,” Hinton said.
And in response to the mental health epidemic in high school, Hinton acknowledges its validity and simply replies:
“How can I help?”
Be it with schedule changes or simply the opportunity to talk to someone ready to listen, he is dedicated to helping in any way possible. This is primarily accomplished with his open door policy, inviting anyone with questions or concerns to stop by and have a conversation.
“There is no invalid reason to be struggling,” Hinton said.
