The Union County Board of Education approved Lewis Group of Knoxville as architects for the proposed middle school in its December meeting.
Carrie Cooke, Purchasing Agent for the Union County Finance Office, chaired the nine-member committee. After several meetings over more than two months, the committee interviewed the highest qualified from the eleven firms who were interested in the project. Those firms made presentations and were ranked by the committee.
The committee recommended Lewis Group as the best fit for the project. According to Director of Schools Jimmy Carter, the next step will be a meeting with Lewis Group to determine the best location for the middle school.
Steve Smith, current UCHS football coach, appeared before the board to request that the football fieldhouse be named in honor of Coach Larry Kerr, who recently retired from the UCHS coaching staff.
Coach Smith noted that Coach Kerr had come out of retirement to revitalize the UCHS Football Program that was about to disband.
Kerr rebuilt the football program, upgraded the weight room and fieldhouse, and supported a total reconstruction of the football field to turf rather than grass. The football program went from a season of defeat to one of competition that touted a winning record in 2018 but suffered from the impact of COVID in 2020 and 2021. The board voted unanimously to rename the fieldhouse in Kerr’s honor.
In regular business, the board approved four contracts and all budget amendments and transfers. One contract was for Commercial Building Systems for $3600. Another contract was to Amanda Elliott, a private contractor, to choreograph the color guard and band movements at a rate of $12 per hour. The third contract was to Responsibility Center Discipline for $55,907 to adopt a discipline program.
Lastly, Allen & Allen was awarded the contract for e-rate consulting at a cost of $9500. Budget amendments included a staff position for special education, a homeless grant which included a part time staff position, changes to ESSER and other grants.
Finally, the board approved the revised Discipline Policy on second reading, surplused four copiers, and set the January Board of Education meeting for Thursday, January 13, at 6 p.m.