The Union County Board of Education has decided to meet at various schools for many of the 2022-2023 meetings. In August, the board met at Luttrell Elementary School.
It was a fitting venue to pay tribute to the outgoing board member of Plainview, Gerald Smith. Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Schools, thanked Smith for his 20 years of service and acknowledged his effort at Luttrell Elementary where he was also a parent volunteer for many years, especially when his daughter was a student.

The Union County Board of Education placed Dr. Jimmy Carter as the interim director at its called June 23 meeting. The action was the culmination of a series of events that left the district without a director for a short time.
Parents had voiced concerns at the May and June board of education meetings regarding bullying, vaping and other student behaviors. Carter abruptly resigned after the parents spoke on June 9.

A dozen or so parents with concerns about Horace Maynard Middle School attended the Union County Board of Education meeting in May. Jessica Waggoner, the spokesperson, said that her fifth grader was terrified at the thought of being a student in the middle school next year.
Waggoner listed vaping, fights in the bathrooms and punishing everyone for the bad behavior of some as issues to be addressed. Another parent echoed these issues and added that bathrooms need adult monitors. One grandmother suggested that the middle school needs a PTO and better communication with parents.

Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Carter and Finance Director Missy Brown shared estimates in revenues and expenditures for the FY23 School Budget at the Union County Board of Education Meeting on April 12.
Projected increases in revenue include local sales tax, the virtual school payment, and BEP growth funds. Salaries as well as equipment and supply costs account for most of the expenditure increases.

The Union County Board of Education will partner with East Tennessee Children's Hospital to offer telehealth with parent permission for routine minor illnesses. The service will be available at Luttrell Elementary, Paulette Elementary, Horace Maynard Middle School and Union County Pre-K.
The partnership was approved with Brad Griffey in charge of the meeting on March 10, due to the absence of chair Coppock and vice-chair Gibbs. Dr. Jimmy Carter, director of schools, chaired the workshop.

The Union County Board of Education recognized two school leadership groups and two state legislators at the February meeting. Dr. Kim Turner organized the Big Ridge Elementary Student Council as a way to grow school leaders. The council began small, but this year grew to have representatives for each grade level.

At the workshop of its January meeting, the Union County Board of Education recognized and congratulated the Paulette Elementary School Beta Club for its achievements at the Tennessee Elementary Beta Club Convention. Dr. Lauren Effler, Supervisor of Instruction, introduced each student and presented each a Certificate of Recognition for Achievement.

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.

Periodic absences for various reasons continue to cause the Union County Board of Education to barely have a quorum.
At the November school board meeting, Chairman David Coppock and Vice Chairman Marty Gibbs were absent along with Brad Griffey from Luttrell. Dr. Jimmy Carter, Director of Union County Schools, chaired the workshop and oversaw the election of Andrew Reed, who represents District 6 (Paulette), as the Chairman Pro Tem to preside at the November meeting.

In less than a half hour of discussion and less than four minutes for the actual meeting with barely a quorum, the Union County Board of Education completed its work at the meeting on October 7.
Meeting a week early to accommodate fall break, the board heard from its attorney that the lawsuit with the Union County Historical Society had been settled and final order documents filed with the Union County Register of Deeds. However, Attorney MaryAnn Stackhouse appealed to the board members to adjourn to the library after the meeting to hear about even more current pending litigation.