08/28/2026
All-call for 4:00 pm today!
Our Vision: By inspiring greatness, all students will realize their worth and potential.
Our Mission: At Union-Scioto School District, students will learn, lead, and make a difference.
Our Motto: Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders.
We have had a great start to the school year, and that is in large part because of our wonderful, hardworking, and experienced staff. Their dedication, energy, and commitment to our students make such a difference. We are excited about the year ahead and looking forward to another great year at Unioto!
We really do appreciate our families’ patience and understanding as we continue to work through what has been an incredibly challenging bussing situation, much of which was completely beyond our control. Losing two drivers just a few days before the first day of school certainly creates some challenges, and we understand the inconvenience that can cause for our families. We are very concerned about it and will continue to do everything we can to minimize the disruptions. One thing I would add is that when we know an adjustment needs to be made, we communicate it almost immediately. In most cases, our families are being notified within 30 minutes of us learning that a route needs to be adjusted. Our drivers, bus mechanic, and transportation supervisor have been working together to find solutions as quickly as possible while making sure we get our students home safely. Trust me when I say our drivers, bus mechanic, and supervisor are doing their very best. They are feeling the pressure, too, and they want very badly to help our families. They are being asked to do more with less in a job that is already one of, if not the toughest jobs in a school district. Driving a school bus is incredibly challenging. You are responsible for 60–80 students at a time while dealing with traffic, weather, schedules, behavior, safety, and many other things most people never see. We are transporting over 1,000 students, and making all of that work smoothly is a lot more complicated than it may appear from the outside. There is a reason there is a shortage of school bus drivers, and it isn't just about compensation. Quite honestly, there aren't a lot of people who want to take on this job, especially considering the responsibility involved. I think this is also a good reminder for all of us, myself included, that it is easy—and almost natural—to be critical when something isn't going the way we think it should. Sometimes, though, it is better to pause, ask questions, and try to understand what may be happening behind the scenes. Being a little more curious and a little less critical can go a long way, especially when people are working hard to solve a difficult situation. I know I can always do a better job of that myself. Our drivers aren't perfect, and neither are we. We will make mistakes, and sometimes things simply won't go the way we want them to; however, I would ask our families to give our drivers and transportation supervisor a little grace right now. If you have a concern or, even better, a suggestion that might help, we absolutely want to hear it. Please call Mr. Ost directly to talk through it and see if there is something he can do. You can reach Mr. Ost at 740-773-6031. Most importantly, thank you to our entire transportation department, bus mechanic, and our supervisor. We appreciate what you do, and we know how hard you are working to take care of our students and our families. Thank you for sticking with it and doing everything you can to make the best of a challenging situation. We appreciate you!
Unioto families and fans can purchase presale tickets for all Unioto athletic events. The more presale tickets that are purchased through fan.hudl.com, the greater the discount Unioto receives. Your participation directly helps support our athletic programs. You can access at FAN.HUDL.COM
The Unioto baseball program’s fundraiser still has a few available season parking passes that can be purchased. Please contact Gene Bumgardner at 740.352.4602 or email at [email protected]. This baseball project will be fully funded by donations and sponsorships. Any support would be appreciated.
Hope to see everyone tonight as our football team welcomes the Athens Bulldogs to the U. This Saturday, our boys and girls soccer teams take on Lucasville at home starting at 10 a.m., our girls tennis team have a match at Minford at 10 a.m., and our volleyball team plays at Chillicothe at 6 pm.
As always, hard work works, and as one of our hard-working and dedicated custodians, Jeff Pettit reminded me just this morning…3 days til Monday!! Check out his picture on my page!
Go Tanks!!
