Hinsdale Elementary Principal Named

HINSDALE, IL — A new principal has been hired for Monroe School in Hinsdale. Kristin Reingruber, principal at Glen Oaks Elementary School in North Palos District 117, is expected to start in July.

Reingruber was previously the assistant principal of the North Palos district's Oak Ridge Elementary and the curriculum team leader at that school. She also held the position of technology instruction coordinator for the entire district.

District 181 board President Margaret Kleber praised Reingruber.

"We have high standards for our school leaders, and Kristin’s track record proves that she has the drive and qualities that we look for on our administrative leadership team," Kleber said in a statement.

By some measures, Monroe is much different from Glen Oaks. With about 350 students, Monroe is about half the size of Glen Oaks, according to the Illinois Report Card website. At Monroe, 2 percent of students come from low-income families, far less than Glen Oaks' 70 percent, state numbers show.

Reingruber lives in Brookfield with her husband, Mike, and kindergarten-age son, Tyler. She is an Illinois native from the small town of Ladd, which is in downstate Bureau County.

A former volleyball player, Reingruber said her “coaching mentality” drives her leadership style, according to a news release.

"I like to listen to people and understand their perspective,” she said in a statement. “When you see where someone is coming from, you can work with them and see what will best meet their needs. I appreciate that everyone is different, so you have to meet them where they are and coach them to that next level.”

In coming to District 181, Reingruber said she was particularly excited about Monroe's unique attributes, the news release said.

“It’s clearly a special school, and I love how the Living Garden and Monroe Bees bring the community together,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with a new group of leaders and teachers. It’s inspiring and invigorating for me to challenge myself and try something new.”

Formerly a triathlon and Ironman competitor, Reingruber describes her family as “outdoorsy and active.”

“We do a lot of hiking, a lot of walks and runs,” she said. “We love to be out in nature.”

Reingruber replaces Principal Justin Horne, who will become the new principal at Timothy Christian school in Elmhurst starting July 1.

Horne has been with District 181 for 16 years and principal of Monroe for seven. During his tenure at Monroe, it was named a Blue Ribbon School (2016) and a Green Ribbon School (2018).