Skilled Services addressed the Union County Board of Education at its meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Skilled Services is a commercial and industrial contractor located in Knoxville that specializes in facility improvements and structural repairs to keep buildings functional, modern, and safe. The company provides a comprehensive consultation. Next in-house architects design the concept and then construction for renovation or a new build occurs. Director Greg Clay requested that Skilled Services evaluate the status of the current HMMS for future use.

A snafu occurred at the Union County School Board meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Board members re-elected Chairperson Jessica Brock in a 3-2 vote with Dr. Jimmy Carter absent and Charlie Hamilton not voting. The attorney advised the Board that the vote was valid. But further research revealed a state requirement of four votes to elect the Chairperson. So the Board will again be electing a chairperson in a special called meeting on September 29. Terry Washam was elected by acclamation as Vice-Chair and will serve as chairperson until the Chair is elected.

The Union County Board of Education discussed maintenance, buses, employee sick leave, substitute pay and legislation at its February meeting.
Union County High School is now nearly 26 years old and needs a new roof.
Insurance has paid $73,000 for some storm damage. But the new roof will cost $203,000, according to the estimate received by Vernon Weaver and Mike Johnson and verified by the bid from Henley Roofing Company, Inc.
The board plans to use ESSER funds but has asked for assurance from Henley that it can meet the federal requirements for the use of these funds.

At the October meeting, the Union County Board of Education got a glimpse of the preliminary development of the new middle school. The Lewis Group, architects for the project, shared a preliminary plan for the property plat and a block drawing for the building. The school will be on John Deere Drive on property located behind the present Goodwill business.

The Union County School Board continued its community-based meetings by conducting its September business at Maynardville Elementary School. The board elected a new chairman, a new vice chairman, and a new interim director.

Mask mandates continued to be a concern for the parents who addressed the Union County Board of Education at the September 9 meeting.
The closure of the system within a month of the opening apparently rekindled the fear of a mandatory mask mandate. Mask wearing has been and remains to be optional. But Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, did alert the board to the fact that the policies regarding the pandemic were under review.

In the July Union County Board of Education Meeting, Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Carter explained that trying to develop a plan for the use of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds was extremely challenging due to the changes in the requirements that seem to occur almost daily.

Concerns expressed by Marty Gibbs, board member from first district, derailed the Skilled Services Contract at the Union County Board of Education Meeting on June 24. Gibbs expressed concerns that the contract had no performance bond, no quality controls, no schedule for completion and lacked AIA protections, yet required a 30 percent payout of the $1,337,400 up front.

Teachers and all certified personnel paid on the teacher scale will receive a salary bonus this spring due to action at the regular February meeting of the Union County Board of Education. Director Jimmy Carter explained that Governor Lee had proposed a starting teacher salary of $40,000 for the state teacher pay scale.

The Union County Board of Education met in a called meeting to discuss adding capital projects into the Five Year Plan.
Dr. Jimmy Carter, director of schools, distributed a list of the capital projects and their costs that had been completed over the last five years.
Finance Director Ann Dyer and Maintenance Supervisor Mike Johnson were present to answer questions. Carter informed the board that the current capital project of providing a heating and air conditioning system for the hallways of Luttrell Elementary had been placed on hold until after the meeting.