Two of the boys served as Green Berets. Looking back, she acknowledged that she was able to use the marketing as well. “I had to sell education to kids, who really thought they had no use for it,” Rinto said. “There was 625 kids in my graduating class at Shaker Heights High School, and all […]
Two of the boys served as Green Berets.
Looking back, she acknowledged that she was able to use the marketing as well. “I had to sell education to kids, who really thought they had no use for it,” Rinto said.
“There was 625 kids in my graduating class at Shaker Heights High School, and all but 10 went to college,” she added.
However, she does admit one of the highlights of Rinto’s administrative career was witnessing the elementary school being named the state of Ohio’s Outstanding Elementary School in Northeast Ohio in 2009.
Moving to rural Columbiana County was a bit of a shock for her, after growing up in one of Cleveland’s most affluent suburbs, Shaker Heights.
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In addition to being able to engage the youth, who were often unreachable with other teachers, she enjoyed the job so much that she eventually decided to go into educational administration.
HANOVERTON — As United Local prepares to move into its new building, RuthAnn Rinto couldn’t be more excited.
When district employees end the 2024-2025 school year, they will be packing up to move to the new digs.
“I loved the people so much, we decided to move down here to the district,” she explained.
It turned out her father did know best.
They had become reacquainted at a 50th class reunion for Shaker Heights High School, where he also had been a member of her graduating high school class.
Eventually he got a job that brought the couple down south near Alliance, and those special education hours came in handy.
She also learned that special education wasn’t necessarily the specialty area for the faint of heart, but she appeared to have a knack.
After her husband passed away, Rinto went on to marry David Gilliss in 2018.
“I knew I wanted to be a principal, and I saw in the newspaper that the elementary school principal at United Local had resigned.” She continued, “So I decided to apply even though I didn’t even know where United Local was.”
Rinto admitted she may be among the most excited to see United Local’s quest for a newer facility come to fruition especially when recalling her own efforts in administrator toward that end goal.
“This has been a fun career,” she remarked.
After all, just like today, she said she believes, “Our (United Local) kids need to have a voice and a choice.”
During her educational career, Rinto eventually would earn a masters’ degree at Bowling Green and a doctorate at Kent State University.
In addition to serving on the board for more than a decade, Rinto also serves in various capacities on many volunteer organizations like the United Community Scholarship Foundation, Winona Historical Society and district’s Athletic Boosters.
She served as elementary principal for 16 years, high school principal for there years and then district superintendent for another three years.
A longtime district administrator who continues to serve on United Local’s school board, the building project has been a long time coming — especially as witnessed by Rinto.
Rinto got the job.
For the occasion, she and her husband went to Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky to accept the honor and treated the teachers to the trip as part of the celebration in appreciation for their efforts.
Rinto was one of those college-bound youths, electing to go to Bowling Green State University and study marketing.
She would go on to meet and marry Conrad Rinto during her senior year at Bowling Green, as he also was a student there studying industrial arts.
She also announces district track meets and teachers spin and other fitness classes like Silver Sneakers at Salem Community Center.
After retiring, she would go on in 2014 to become an United Local school board member and work part-time as an educational field placement coordinator for the University of Mount Union.
RINTO
RuthAnn was able to get hired as a special education teacher in the Minerva Local School District.
At that time, there were 899 kids at the United Local Elementary School when she started there, and they never would break 900, she added.
Wanting to be a fashion buyer, Rinto said that her father had other ideas for her future career path. “He wanted me to go into teaching,” she explained, adding she accumulated some special education hours and it was enough to allow her to teach eventually.
Some of United Local’s appeal for Rinto is most appreciative of the strong support systems they offered their kids. “I like that they have strong families at home and wonderful teachers in the classroom,” she added.
Rinto has five children with her late husband Conrad: three sons Ron, Rob and Conrad as well as two daughters Caitlin and Christine.
