LINN  — Newly hired Linn Elementary Principal Cammie Higgenbotham is excited to join the school next year in her first administrative post. Higgenbotham said this week that she is “beyond thankful” for this opportunity and plans to visit Linn Elementary as much as possible during the remainder of this school year. She was hired at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting.

A teacher for the last eight years in multiple grades, Higgenbotham currently teaches kindergarten at South Elementary School in Jefferson City.

She has lived in Fulton most of her life but, for the past six months, has planned to relocate to Linn this summer. Higgenbotham and her boyfriend, David Otto, of Linn, are planning a future together. She began researching the school district initially as a parent.

Higgenbotham explained that her daughter, Raeley, just turned 4 in April and is ecstatic about attending school in Linn. “With a future Wildcat, I wanted to learn more about the district and what they had to offer,” she said. “My daughter and her education are of utmost importance to me.”

R-2’s mission statement — “Educate, engage, empower everyone every day — that’s the Wildcat way!” — drew Higgenbotham to the district. “How powerful are those three words that we get a part in fostering every day!” Higgenbotham said. “As a parent, the mission statement was exactly what I wanted for my child. That alone really drove me to find out more as a teacher.”

She also started looking at class sizes. “Linn offers smaller class sizes than most schools in the surrounding area,” Higgenbotham said. “As a parent and an educator, this is a great thing.”

After researching the district from a parent’s standpoint, she decided to pursue a career here, noting it’s somewhere she feels drawn to be. Higgenbotham applied for both a teaching position and the elementary principal position. 

“What I love most about Linn R-2 is the small welcoming community,” Higgenbotham added. “The feeling I got when I started meeting people was one of home. I could tell right away that this was where I was meant to be.”

She noted being greeted by people with friendly, smiling faces is a feeling she will never forget. “I also love seeing how much our students are supported and valued in this district and community,” Higgenbotham said.

She earned an Associate of Arts in Teaching from Moberly Area Community College in 2013, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Lincoln University in 2015, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Northwest Missouri State in 2020. 

Following her first-grade student teaching at Pioneer Trail Elementary School in Jefferson City, Higgenbotham moved to Kingdom City, where she taught at Hatton-McCredie Elementary School through the 2018-19 school year.

From there, she taught preschool at Fulton Early Childhood Center and then went to South Elementary.

Higgenbotham has been planning to move into administration for a few years. “I believe that as an educator, you should be a lifelong learner and always strive to grow,” she noted. “I feel that as educators, we should always push ourselves to become the best that we possibly can. I have a passion for not only helping students but also empowering teachers. Being a teacher is so powerful. You have the opportunity every day to change lives. This is something that is so important. One of my main focuses will be on culture. If you have a strong positive culture, the results are limitless. This is one of my strengths as an educator. I believe being a leader is all about servanthood and how I can best serve students, teachers, staff, and the community.”

When Higgenbotham joins the district, her goal is to be visible. “I plan to be in classrooms daily and available any time students or staff need me,” she said. “One of my favorite places to be as an educator is in the hallways in the mornings. With just a simple smile and ‘good morning,’ you can brighten a student’s whole day. I stand at my classroom door and build relationships with students every morning. After all, that is what it is all about. 

“I will continue to do this as an administrator,” she added. “I truly believe it has a lasting impact. Culture is important to me. Again, if you have a strong and positive culture, the outcomes are limitless. I pride myself on building the culture I want to be a part of. I look forward to serving students, staff, and the community in any way I can.”

Superintendent Bob James thanked the hiring committee — Mrs. Bower, Mrs. Plume, Mrs. Warren, Ms. Glenn, Ms. Uthe, Mrs. Everette, Mrs. Pointer, and Mrs. Sassmann — which selected five individuals to interview (one candidate decided not to interview after accepting another position) from a pool of nine applicants. After four interviews, the committee’s top candidate was Higgenbotham.

“According to her prior principals, Mrs. Higgenbotham has set herself apart as an outstanding teacher and leader,” said James. “She had tremendous energy throughout the interview process, and her vision of leadership, learning, and student potential is absolutely in line with our greatest hopes for the elementary, the district, and our community; I am excited for her to come on board.”

More from this meeting will be presented next week.