Four Things to Know about Union County NC Schools
School starts tomorrow for thousands of students in Union County NC. Here are some things to know about Union County NC public schools.
Why does school start before Labor Day? Parents from other parts of the country who move to fast-growing Union County are often surprised that school starts in August. For many years, the public school systems moved the school start date earlier and earlier into August until one year the first day of school was during the second week of August. The early start dates caused an uproar among the businesses on the Carolina coast and in the mountains because families with school-age children were unavailable for vacations during most of August. So, they passed a law! The public schools in North Carolina on traditional schedules may not open before the 25th of August. The 2008-09 calendar for Union County schools is August 25, 2008 to June 10, 2009.
How large is the Union County Public School system? The Union County system is the sixth largest school system and the fastest growing system in North Carolina. Approximately 37,000 students were enrolled in the public schools last year. Union County has an aggressive program for building new schools to accommodate the student population growth. The national housing downturn has given Union County a breather and it has slowed its school construction timetables.
How can parents enroll their children in a school if they do not yet live in the county? The school system has changed enrollment policy because of the rapid growth of the county. A out-of-town family must prove that it is living in the county before the first day of classes. It is no longer acceptable to use a contract for purchasing a home to enroll children in a school.
How did Union County students fare in last year's federal "No Child Left Behind" testing? Union County Public Schools ranked first among the nine largest school systems in the state with percentage of schools making AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress in 2007-08. More than half the schools met the 100 percent standard of AYP and 66% met at least 90 percent of their goals.
More information can be found at the Union County Public Schools website. Visit the Education page at www.CarolinaSmallTownLiving.com for more information about local schools.
Copyright 2008. Carol Fox. All rights reserved. "Four Things to Know about Union County NC Schools"