Photos Provided Union Local students receive school supplies at the annual back-to-school fair.

Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack meeting with Union Local students at its annual back-to-school fair.

MORRISTOWN — Union Local School District will be hosting its annual Back-to-School Fair on Aug. 7.

Union Local Schools Superintendent Zac Shutler said that although the school annually has a back-to-school fair, he is expecting this year’s to be the best one yet.

The event runs from 4-7 p.m. with the general back-to-school fair taking place from 4-6 p.m.

The fair will have school supplies available for the students as well as free hair cuts provided by Changes Hair Salon.

From 6-7 p.m. the fair will have various challenges and competitions for the younger students to have opportunities to win prizes that will be run by the older student athletes.

Also starting at 6 p.m. will be at the meet the team event for the student athletes playing fall sports. Meet the team will take place at the football field as the competitions take place on the school’s perimeter.

“This year, we’re trying to make it a little bit more special to kick off the year. Our Parent Engagement Committee thought it was important to really kick this year off on the right start,” Shutler said. “They’ve been meeting throughout the summer, and they wanted to have some fun, engaging activities for our parents, community and the students to be involved in.”

He added that the plan is for the back-to-school fair to be outside, incorporating the school’s parking lots and football field but if the weather doesn’t cooperate the back up plan is for it to take place inside of the elementary, middle, and high schools.

The local United States Air Force Recruitment Center, Union Local Jets Booster Club, Union Local Parent and Community Engagement Committee, and Changes Hair Salon will be sponsoring the event with multiple food trucks selling refreshments throughout the entirety of the fair.

Shutler said that although the back-to-school fair is an annual event, this year will be more of a fun and festive atmosphere to get the students excited about returning to school for the incoming year.

“We’ve done back-to-school fairs before, but this year we’ve tried to improve it a little bit,” he said. “I think having a Community Engagement Committee and having the teachers and administrators being part of that will enhance the event.”

Shutler added that he acknowledges that this is a tough time of year because most parents and students are focused on having fun in the sun and sleeping in, not coming back-to-school.

“I think sometimes for kids when they hear back-to-school fair, it makes them think about getting up at 7 in the morning. But our goal is to hopefully reframe how they think about kicking off the school year,” Shutler said. “Schooling goes well if everybody is on the same team, and that’s one of our core values here is we’re all on one big, great team.

He added that his teachers and administrators have worked hard as a team to put together what he believes will be a great event, and is looking forward to seeing his teammates, which he said are the students, parents, and the community at the fair.

Union Local School District’s first day of school for the incoming 2025-2026 school year is August 20.