Union County Schools

Union County Schools, a rural Tennessee district serving roughly 5,514 students across 11 schools (7 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools, including an alternative center), is ranked 124th out of 141 districts statewide with a 1-star rating. District-wide proficiency trails state averages significantly: 20.2% in math versus 43.0% statewide, 27.6% in ELA versus 40.6%, and 34.2% in science versus 46.9%. The district is far from uniformly struggling, however — several small traditional campuses are genuine bright spots.

The district's strongest performers are three small rural elementary schools: Big Ridge Elementary School, Paulette Elementary School, and Sharps Chapel Elementary School all rank near the 52nd-53rd percentile with 3-star ratings, and all exceed the state average in ELA. Sharps Chapel's science proficiency of 56.9% is ten points above the state average, and it posted the district's largest one-year improvement. In contrast, Tennessee Virtual Academy and Tennessee Virtual Middle School enroll roughly 49% of all district students (2,723 combined) yet record the lowest scores in the district, with math proficiency near 13-14%. Because these virtual programs are so large, their low performance disproportionately drags down the district's overall ranking.

At the secondary level, Union County High School stands out for its 93.1% graduation rate and 3.4% dropout rate — both better than state averages — as well as Algebra II and US History proficiency far above state averages. H Maynard Middle School is improving, climbing from the 18th to the 31st percentile over three years and now outranking Tennessee Virtual Middle School. Chronic absenteeism tells a surprising story: the virtual schools have the lowest rates (7-9%) yet the lowest test scores, while Union County High's 30.2% absenteeism coexists with solid outcomes. The most pressing struggles are at Maynardville Elementary School and Luttrell Elementary School, both stuck in the bottom quarter of state rankings, and two tiny alternative programs are too small for reliable conclusions. For parents, the key takeaway is clear: the district's small traditional schools far outperform its large virtual programs.