Superintendent Union County Schools Dr. Fred H. Rayfield

Union County School Board, L to R Janna D. Akins, Tony Hunter, Cynthia Odom, Keith Potts, Patrick White.

The Union County Board of Education (UCBOE) convened on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 6 p.m. for their monthly Workshop, immediately followed by the General Meeting. Present were UCS Superintendent Fred H. Rayfield, Board Chairwoman Cynthia Odom, Vice Chair Patrick White and Board Members Janna D. Akins, Tony Hunter and Keith Potts.  Rayfield announced at the beginning of the General Meeting that UCHS has been rated by the College Board as an Advanced Placement (AP) Challenge/ AP STEM campus. Rayfield said that UCHS is one of only 59 Georgia high schools that offer the number and type of AP courses that UCHS does. Students who pass or test well after taking AP courses earn college credit. This is huge for both students and parents.

Rayfield also announced that UCMS has Beat the Odds for 2016 and for the last five years in a row. Beating the Odds means that UCMS has surpassed the statistical prediction range established by the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE); that is, UCMS students have higher College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores than the GDOE prediction based on school size, grade clusters, economic disadvantages and student demographics. This is great news for the Union County Charter School System. Rayfield said UCHS was recognized as Beating the Odds for 2016 as well.

Rayfield announced that UCES and UCMS have been designated Title I Rewards Schools Highest Performing Schools based on 2013-2015 data.
These are all accomplishments that these School Principals and faculties should be very proud of, he said, and public recognition will be forthcoming.
The Board approved, on the Superintendent’s recommendation, three UCHS students to travel with a chaperone to Anaheim, CA to the national/international Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competition, leaving April 25 and returning April 30, 2017. DECA is an organization that recognizes and prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. Rayfield said all three students had won their state competitions and were qualified to go. The three students are Tyler ‘Buck’ Martin, Robert ‘Jordan’ Frank and Kyle English.

School Board Appreciation Week happens every March. Rayfield awarded plaques to each of the five School Board Members for their willingness to serve the community in their elected positions in addition to their regular full time jobs. He said they do a lot more than just administer these Board Meetings once a month; that they are committed to what’s right for our kids and should be recognized for it.
The Board approved the February 2017 Financial Report. No details were given regarding the report.
The Board broke for a second Executive Session at approximately 7:20 p.m. Upon their return at approximately 9:00 p.m., the Board reconvened and approved the list of FY 2018 Full-Time certified rehires and a list of Personnel Recommendations. When asked for the lists, Rayfield informed Fetch Your News that the full lists would be published on the Web site the following day.
The Board then adjourned.