This month’s edition includes Board of Education budget highlights, a reminder to vote in the 2027–2028 calendar poll, an upcoming college and career planning webinar for families, graduation season updates and celebrations of student achievements across the district.

In this issue:

Budget proposal overview: Key highlights from April 14 Board of Education Meeting
A pig, a pencil, and a big win for a Shiloh Valley Elementary student
UCPS 2027-2028 Calendar Poll closes tomorrow; don't miss out
Student creativity on display at Superintendent’s Art Showcase
Piedmont sixth graders turn math class into invention lab
Graduation season is almost here!
Union County Early College celebrates 20 years of student success
Post-secondary academic and career planning webinar

Budget proposal overview: Key highlights from April 14 Board of Education Meeting

At the April 14 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Andrew Houlihan and Chief Finance Officer Shanna McLamb presented the proposed 2026–2027 school year budget.

Before the presentation, Dr. Houlihan provided an overview of the budget process and key priorities. He noted that the proposal reflects several unknowns at both the state and local levels.

“This is a recommendation, and we will continue working together to refine the budget between now and the final Board vote in May,” Dr. Houlihan said.

Over the past six months, the district has gathered input from a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers, principals, parents, students, advisory groups, and the Board of Education.

Budget overview

The presentation included:

State budget outlook
Local budget priorities
Proposed local operating budget request
Proposed capital operating budget request

Key priorities

One major priority is increasing the local supplement for eligible certified instructional and instructional-support staff. The proposal also continues the nurse expansion initiative, now in year two of a five-year plan, with the goal of placing a nurse in every school.

Next steps

The Board of Education unanimously accepted the proposed budget at the April 14 meeting. A final vote is scheduled for May 5. After approval, the budget request will be submitted to the Board of Commissioners in May.

Presentation

A pig, a pencil, and a big win for a Shiloh Valley Elementary student

Esther De La Cruz, a student at Shiloh Valley Elementary, has been named a winner in the NC Farm to School Art Contest.

Her artwork was selected as one of 13 winners from more than 3,500 entries submitted across 58 North Carolina counties. The contest invited students to illustrate themes related to agriculture and farming in North Carolina.

Esther said she was surprised to learn her artwork had been selected.

“I was shocked. I didn’t think it would win because I was worried I wouldn’t finish it in time,” she said.

Esther said she originally planned a different drawing before deciding to create a farm scene featuring pigs.

“I switched it to a pig because I like them, and I think they’re funny,” she said.

Through the project, Esther said she gained a new understanding of agriculture.

“I didn’t realize agriculture was more than just animals. It also includes machines, crops, and how things are used or produced,” she said.

Art teacher Jill Ammons said students explored a wide range of agricultural topics before creating their artwork, including crops, livestock, equipment and North Carolina’s farming history.

“We really went in depth with agriculture and what it means to our state,” Ammons said. “The kids were surprised to learn how much of what they see every day comes from farming and how agriculture is part of their own communities.”

Esther’s artwork is currently on display at the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union through the Shiloh Valley Elementary partnership gallery. It will also be featured in the 2026–2027 NC Farm to School Calendar.

Ammons said the contest is highly competitive, with only 13 winners selected statewide from more than 3,500 entries, along with additional honorable mentions showcased in the exhibit.

Winners will be recognized at an awards reception on May 15 and will receive copies of the published calendar.

UCPS 2027-2028 Calendar Poll closes tomorrow; don't miss out

The Board of Education is seeking feedback for the 2027-2028 school calendar. Two calendar options are available.

Here are a few reminders about North Carolina's public school calendar law:

Start date no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end date no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
There are no educational purpose waivers for exemption of the opening and/or closing dates.
Must have a minimum of 185 days or 1,025 hours of instruction.
Must have at least nine (9) teacher workdays.
Local boards shall designate a minimum of two (2) workdays on which teachers may take accumulated vacation leave.
Have a minimum of ten (10) annual vacation leave days.
Have the same or an equivalent number of legal holidays occurring within the school calendar as those designated by the State Personnel Commission for state employees.
Cannot be in session on election day.
The total number of workdays for teachers employed for a 10-month term shall not exceed 195 days and must total 215 staff days when combined with annual leave days and holidays.
Must have at least 42 days between school years (except for year-round schools).

Please review both calendars and indicate which calendar you prefer for the 2027–2028 school year. Larger images of the calendars can be viewed by clicking the link.

The survey will close tomorrow, Friday, April 24, at 11:59 p.m.

Take the 2027-2028 Calendar Survey

Student creativity on display at Superintendent’s Art Showcase

Colorful paintings, imaginative drawings and bold designs are filling the halls of Union County Public Schools’ Central Services building. On April 21, even more people had the opportunity to enjoy the artwork during the Superintendent’s Student Art Showcase reception.

The long-standing district tradition celebrates the artistic talents of UCPS students from elementary through high school. Every two years, schools across the district submit artwork to be displayed throughout the building. This year, 99 student pieces are exhibited.

Families gathered at the reception to see the artwork and celebrate the students behind it.

For Kensington Elementary fourth grader Liam Giggler, bright colors were the key to his abstract portrait.

“I wanted my painting to stand out,” Liam said. “Blue is my favorite color, and I was inspired by Picasso.”

Other students expanded on classroom projects to create their pieces. Kira Guadalupe, an eighth grader at Piedmont Middle School, said her artwork began as a charcoal assignment before she continued building on it.

“My teacher told me to keep adding to it,” Kira said. “So I kept working on it and adding more.”

Younger artists also brought their imagination to life. Vera Kinyanjui, a third grader at Rocky River Elementary, used markers and Sharpie to create a colorful house filled with patterns.

“It’s a house from my imagination,” Vera said.

Superintendent Dr. Andrew Houlihan said the showcase highlights the creativity happening in art classrooms across the district.

“We have incredibly talented students in Union County Public Schools,” Houlihan said. “It’s inspiring to see their creativity on display.”

The artwork will remain on display for two years at the Central Services building on Church Street.

Piedmont sixth graders turn math class into invention lab

Creativity and problem-solving were on full display in the media center at Piedmont Middle School as sixth graders presented their Panther Entrepreneurship projects—turning classroom math into real-world inventions.

Inspired by the TV show Shark Tank, sixth-grade math teachers Whitney Honeycutt and Noah Tucker challenged students to create products that solve everyday problems. Students calculated production costs, set prices and estimated profits while designing prototypes and marketing their ideas on colorful display boards.

“Everything the students are learning, they’re able to apply within this project,” Honeycutt said. “It helps show them that the content they’re learning applies to real life.”

The inventions ranged from practical to playful. Tyler Kann and Nason Hamer created the Scoot-A-Broom, a scooter with a broom attached to make cleaning more fun.

“Whenever I go to sweep my living room, it’s just boring,” Tyler said. “So when we made this, it was fun and easy to clean with.”

Other teams designed products such as a waterproof drink holder called the Mega Holder, a fingerprint-activated locker lock and a compact beach organizer with a built-in fan.

On March 30, families purchased tickets to vote for their favorite prototypes, helping students raise $1,400. The following day, students used the funds to purchase items to donate to the community.

Tucker said the project helps students see how math connects to real-world problem-solving.

“It’s one thing to learn about numbers in class,” Tucker said. “This shows how math can help solve real problems.”

At the end of the project, the top three student inventions were Fazed, a hair product that automatically fluffs hair; Steel Dudes, a steel-toe version of Hey Dudes shoes; and 3 & 1 Fan, a fan that also holds sunscreen for the beach.

From brainstorming ideas to pitching products and giving back, students discovered how math, creativity and teamwork can turn ideas into something meaningful.

Graduation season is almost here!

UCPS will hold graduations in May and June. View the date, time and location of each graduation in the link below. In addition, all traditional high school graduations will be livestreamed on the school’s YouTube page for public viewing.

In the event of severe weather, rain dates have been set to reschedule ceremonies. Principals will communicate directly with seniors and their families if the date of their graduation is changed.

Class of 2026 graduation schedule

Union County Early College celebrates 20 years of student success

Union County Early College (UCEC) is marking 20 years of helping students take a different path toward college and career success.

When the school opened in 2006 on the South Piedmont Community College campus, it began with 54 ninth graders, three teachers and a bold idea: allow students to earn a high school diploma while completing college coursework.

Today, more than 300 students attend UCEC, with many graduating already holding an associate degree.

Principal Michael Murray said students choose a challenging but rewarding path.

“They chose to take the path less traveled,” Murray said. “But the rewards in the long run will continue to come their way because of this choice.”

Over two decades, UCEC has grown into a strong school community focused on rigor, relationships and preparing students for life after high school. Staff say the school continues to evolve while maintaining its core mission of helping students build independence and confidence.

Read full feature

Watch the 20-year celebration video below, featuring reflections from founding principal Victoria McGovern.