Photo and logo courtesy of Union City Schools.
By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–The bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the payout.
Such was the case for several Union City High School students last year.
UCHS Principal Jacob Cross said the local school system, through the UC Schools Foundation and private donations, will issue checks totaling $23,800 to students who excelled on Advanced Placement exams administered during the 2024-25 school year.
AP classes are courses designed to give entry-level college classroom experience and knowledge. Students who commit to taking the year-end exams as part of the prerequisite to enroll in the AP courses are rewarded for varying levels of performance on the end-of-the-year tests.
Courses with the accompanying exams were offered in eight different subjects last year.
Those scoring a 5 (on a 1-5 grading system) received a reimbursement fee ($100) for taking the exam, $500, and college credit at many universities for taking the class and passing the test. A score of 4 on the test was good for the reimbursement fee, $250, and college credit, while a grade of 3 on the test was deemed worthy of reimbursement of the exam cost and college credit.
A record 85 percent of the 86 UCHS students involved during the 2024-25 school year earned passing grades and perks that went with those performances.
Thirteen students recorded scores of 5, with another 40 earning a grade of 4. Twenty UCHS students scored a 3 on their respective exams.
Myranda Parr, the salutatorian of the 2025 graduating class, made a 5 in three different AP courses taken. Valedictorian Addison Kitchen scored a 5 and two 4s. Several other students earned passing grades in three subjects.
Faculty-wise, teachers Brian Conner (U.S. History) and Joanna Wisener (Literature and Composition) both scored 100 percent in pass rates on the test for their respective classes. All but one of Paige McMillan’s AP Biology students (92.3 percent) earned passing grades.
“What a great testament to how hard our students and their teachers worked in our advanced placement programs,” Cross said. “Along with being commended, they are rightfully rewarded, and we’re happy to be able to continue this tradition.
“There were a lot of long hours and studying put in, and I think the results speak for themselves.”
The program has grown tremendously since its inception 15 years ago, when $4,000 was budgeted for its first year.