Wheeler High School

Let us know how we can help.

August 17, 2026

Good afternoon, UTSC Families,

We are happy to share that UTSC schools will resume on Tuesday, August 18, and we look forward to welcoming everyone, from our littlest preschoolers to our Class of 2027 seniors! All of our school buildings have power and are operational and ready for students and staff.

We are also encouraged that power continues to be restored to more homes throughout our district and community. At the same time, we know that some of our families remain without power, while others are dealing with damage to their homes, clean-up, and other challenges resulting from the storms. If your family needs support or resources, please reach out to your child's building principal. We will continue to do what we can to connect families with available resources and, most importantly, take care of one another as a community.

We recognize that every family's circumstances are different, and we understand that families will need to make the decisions that are best for their children and their individual situations. If your child is unable to attend school on Tuesday or in the coming days due to storm-related circumstances, please contact your child's school office as you normally would to report the absence. These absences will be excused. Our principals will also provide information regarding a lunch pick-up option for students who are unable to attend school. Please be on the lookout for a message from your child's principal with additional building-specific information.

Regular bus transportation will be provided, and our school kitchens will be operating to provide breakfast and lunch. We ask for your continued patience with bus pick-up and drop-off times, as some road conditions may continue to impact our routes. Our drivers will take the extra time necessary to make student safety our highest priority, and we appreciate your patience and support of them.

We also know that recovery from this storm will take time. Through our high school student volunteer teams, we look forward to finding ways to lend a hand to our community and Bearcat families who may need some extra help. Information about opportunities for assistance and ways our students can support our community will be shared through our district social media channels.

All school offices and the central office are open today. At this time, we continue to be without phone service throughout the district. We will update families as soon as phone service is restored. In the meantime, please use the email addresses below if you need to contact your child's school:

John Simatovich Elementary (JSE)
Kristen Hankins, Principal — khankins@union.k12.in.us
Carey Minton, Secretary — cminton@union.k12.in.us

Union Center Elementary (UCE)
Jenna Klein, Principal — jklein@union.k12.in.us
Meredith Roberts, Secretary — mroberts@union.k12.in.us

Union Township Middle School (UTMS)
Kyle Hanaway, Principal — khanaway@union.k12.in.us
Alexis Kruszka, Secretary — akruszka@union.k12.in.us

Wheeler High School (WHS)
Ryan Kruszka, Principal — rkruszka@union.k12.in.us
Amanda Parrish, Secretary — aparrish@union.k12.in.us

Thank you for your continued patience, flexibility, and understanding. This is certainly not the beginning to the school year that any of us planned, but we are excited to finally welcome our students back into our schoolhouses tomorrow.

We also know that the first day may not look or feel like a typical first day of school, and that is okay. Our focus will be on what matters most: keeping our students safe, helping them settle into a new school year, reconnecting with one another, and making sure every student knows they are cared for and that they belong at UTSC. We will listen, support, and extend grace, knowing that every family's experience over the past week has been different. We won't sweat the little things or expect everything to be perfect. Connections and relationships will come first. Our teachers and staff are ready to greet our students with smiles, provide some much-needed normalcy, and finally begin another great year together.

We can't wait to see our Bearcats tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18!

Sincerely,

Leigh Barnes

UTSC Update: School buildings remain closed, and school is canceled for Thursday, August 13, due to continued power outages at all of our buildings. We will provide another update tomorrow. Thank you for your understanding and for the care and support you continue to show our school community. Please stay safe, Bearcats!

We are so excited to extend an invitation to our incoming 9th grade class, as well as students who are new to our district. Please join us on August 11th to walk your schedule, meet current WHS students, and learn about all of the exciting opportunities available to you at Wheeler! We ask that you please RSVP at the link on the flyer so that we have enough food for students and their families.