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.

Dr. Jimmy Carter presented the incentive pay rubric for teachers who have participated in developing the videos for distance learning. at the regular October meeting of the Union County Board of Education The maximum stipend per teacher would be $1500 with the maximum cost to be $300,000. The funds would come from the Reopening Grant, the CARES Act Grant, and the Professional Development line at $100,000 from each source.

Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, remarked that his staff was preparing a rubric (rules for evaluation) for teacher incentive pay.
He further explained that the plan would not be ready for the Union County Board of Education September meeting and would need to be placed on the October agenda.

When Chairman David Coppock realized that the Union County Board of Education lacked a quorum and would need to postpone the meeting, he called on UCEA President Carolyn Murr to speak during the workshop.
Murr quickly described the current school situation, “Teachers are frustrated, worn out, and exhausted,” she admonished. “ Some are working until 2 a.m. to record lessons and do distance learning after they teach during the day.”

Chairman David Coppock called the first virtual meeting of the Union County Board of Education to order on April 9, 2020, with all board members present.
Director of Schools Jimmy Carter relayed a message from UCEA President Carolyn Murr. She thanked the BOE for the care and thoughtfulness shown during the pandemic, especially the distribution of food to the students.

Chairman David Coppock called the August Union County Board of Education Meeting to order and recognized Jimmy Carter, superintendent of schools, to present an award to the Union County Clover Team, who took second place in the national competition. Then Carter asked Lucy Russell Freyer to pay tribute to Carolyn Murr for her 50 years of service to Union County Public Schools. Murr has served as a physical education teacher as well as a classroom teacher and a coach. She currently teaches fourth grade at Maynardville Elementary School.