Students, Parents, and Community Members -

     As the second largest school district in Ross County, encompassing 65 square miles, Union-Scioto Local School District serves more than 2,000 students in grades K-12. Union-Scioto is rich in history and has an excellent record of academic and athletic success.

     Being successful in today’s world requires more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. That’s why Unioto gives its elementary school students an early start in building their problem solving, listening, speaking and decision making skills. We have heard about many issues revolving around education and schools. Ideas for continuing to improve schools for our children come from many individuals and a variety of initiatives. At Union-Scioto, we are constantly improving the teaching and learning process in our classrooms. RPAS has enabled our teachers to give quarterly assessments of student progress, which allow a teacher to detect weaknesses where individual student improvement is needed. High levels of student achievement can be attained with implementation of new ideas and teacher styles. Our teaching staff is one of our greatest assets.

     Communication has been enhanced by this web page, the Sherman Scoop (Fair Edition), quarterly issues of the Tank Talk, Progress Book, and SchoolMessenger. Currently, the district is implementing a new service for parents called EZPay. Parents will have the ability to add money to your child's lunch account online, pay class fees online, or make latchkey payments online, as well as many other things. That service is expected to be completed sometime in September.

     When I started as Superintendent ten years ago, I read an article I believe states the philosophy of the Union-Scioto School District:

• A student is the most important person in any school. 
• A student is not an interruption of our work - he or she is the purpose of it.
• A student is not just a statistic. He or she is a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions. 
• A student is one who comes to us with needs and/or wants. It is our job to fill them. 
• A student is deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment that we can provide. 
• A student is the lifeblood of this and every other school. Without him or her, we would have to close our doors.

     The focus of the future should be on service and excellence. We are pleased, as employees of the Union-Scioto Schools, to have the opportunity to serve and work with the students of our District. The importance of teaching and learning was well stated by a late President of the United States: "From the desk where I sit, the answer to all world problems is found in a single word. That word is education."

Those words inspire and support the challenges and commitment we educators have for quality education in the Union-Scioto School District.

Dwight Garrett
Superintendent