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By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
The banners tell the whole story.
All three schools in the Union City System recently received their Rewards School banners from the Tennessee Department of Education after demonstrating the highest level of performance on the federal accountability system for the 2024-25 school year.
Top-level administrators at each of the three UC Schools campuses proudly displayed their respective signs, acknowledging their school’s score of 3.1 or higher (out of 4.0) under federal accountability.
Collectively, Principals at Union City Schools lauded the efforts and commitment of their respective student bodies and dedicated faculty for the honor.
“State and federal education agencies have rising accountability measures, and we’re beyond proud to have earned this distinction in that landscape,” said UCHS Principal Jacob Cross, whose school was honored for the fourth time in the last seven years.
“Our students and teachers systemwide have continually shown a tremendous work ethic and outstanding motivation to achieve Rewards school status.”
First-year UC Middle School Principal Cole McAdams, who previously served as Vice Principal at the school, lauded former Principal Lance Morgan for his leadership and the established culture at the school while also praising his staff and students.
“This recognition is a tremendous honor for our school and the entire Union City Schools community,” he said. “It reflects the hard work, commitment, and care that go into every single school day. From our teachers and staff to our students and families, everyone shows up ready to give their best and focused on helping kids learn and grow.
I am incredibly proud of our staff at UCMS. They pour their hearts into this work and consistently go above and beyond for our students. Our students deserve credit as well — they come to school each day eager to learn, improve, and support one another.
“We’ve always known we have special people and a strong school community. This award simply shines a light on what Union City Schools is all about.”
Each school in Tennessee received one of four designations from the Department of Education and Governor Bill Lee, with the highest being the Reward School designation.
Schools are recognized as Reward schools when they demonstrate high levels of performance and/or improvement by meeting objectives across performance indicators and student groups. The Reward school distinction emphasizes performance and improvement across all indicators from the prior school year.
It marks the first time in at least 17 years that all three Union City Schools have earned that lofty status. The UCSS was additionally honored as one of just 14 systems in the state to earn the title of Exemplary District.