School Configuration

Our school is in a period of transition. Currently, our school configuration is rather unique serving more than 2,200 students – of both seventh and sixth grades. We have divided both the sixth and seventh grades into teams to help the students feel more "at home" and less unsettled by the size of the building. In february 2023, voters approved a bond measure that will allow Union to separate both grades,

The teams consist of a core group of teachers and 140 students. There are seven teams in each grade. The teaming concept has really been beneficial to the students and has enabled us to utilize a lot of inter-disciplinary instruction within each team. We do have an active student council for each grade. Our students are also very active with several cheer, drill and pom squads.

Bond Progress – Reconfiguration

Reconfiguration to smooth the transition from elementary school

Union Public Schools – thanks to overwhelming voter approval in February 23 – pledges to do a better job of bridging the gap between elementary and middle school for our sixth grade students and provide separate campuses for both sixth grade and seventh grade students. Union hopes to create a smaller, more elementary-like environment for sixth graders, and a springboard for seventh graders that positions them for success in the eighth grade. Structural changes are needed to accommodate two widely different experiences.” 

Among the proposed changes as part of the new 5-year bond include: 

• New school configuration, with sixth grade on one side of the building and seventh grade on the other. We anticipate changes to bus and vehicular traffic flow around the school. 
• Smaller clusters of classroom spaces with common learning areas for teams. “We need space where teams of 120 – 150 kids can get together and collaborate with nearby restrooms,” said Federline. The changes will also ease crowding and require less travel by students, while providing additional pathways and reducing congestion. “With the smaller learning environment feel, we are going to change the culture and kids won’t feel so disrupted.” Team spaces will have designated color schemes to make communities feel more self-contained. 
• Smaller and additional bathrooms will be placed closer to classrooms, with sinks and paper towels located outside in the hallways. This provides for improved monitoring. 
• Improved cafeteria serving area with two eating spaces: To make lunch more efficient for 2,200 students, a centralized kitchen will be placed between smaller eating spaces. This will allow 450 kids to spread out and eat lunch at the same time, but it will be quieter and more comfortable. 
• Addition of a gym on the building’s southwest side. This will not only provide seventh graders with a separate gym, but it will be a hardened facility designed to shelter students and staff in the event of inclement weather. 
• The spirit and winter guard programs will have two new practice areas and locker rooms with the addition of this gym. 
• Renovation of the HVAC system, replacing an old geothermal system that no longer works. 
• The media center, along with the beautiful fine arts facility on the building’s west side, will continue to be a shared space utilized by both grades. 

School History and Features

The Union 7th Grade Center was completed in 1993 on 61st Street near Highway 169 at the original Union School site. The second phase of the building, the Union 6th Grade Center, was completed in the fall of 1994. All of Union's 6th and 7th grade students attend this school.

The fine arts area was expanded in 2013 for more music classrooms and in 2014, the front entrance was remodeled for new office space, additional classrooms and a new outdoor entrance area.

The school site also features an eight-lane, 30-meter swimming pool with a seating capacity of 400. The pool is utilized for physical education classes, after-school activities and competitions and practices for all secondary students participating in swimming.

A well-equipped media center, a drama room with mini-stage, a spacious cafeteria, two gymnasiums and abundant rooms for art and music add to the versatility of the center. In addition, a multi-purpose room on the second floor is used for classroom projects, special speakers and other activities.

Meet our Union 6th Grade Administrative Team

Principal Tammy Ward

Mrs. Ward has been an educator for 19 years and has been a teacher, assistant principal and Principal at Union's 6th and 7th grade center. She is the mom of triplets and avid lover of sunshine, books, and coffee.

Kaitlyn Bueno, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Bueno is also a long-time resident at Union 6th/7th grade center serving as a language arts teacher, art teacher, and assistant principal. Ms. Bueno will serve as assistant principal for teams Amherst and Georgetown. She was selected as site Teacher of the year in 2018. You will find that Mrs. Bueno is a talented artist and has a fierce love for all things STAR Wars.

Garrett Hess, Assistant Principal

Mr. Hess is in his 10th year in Education. Mr. Hess comes to us from Ellen Ochoa Elementary and will be a 6th grade Assistant Principal for Teams Oberlin, Carleton and Columbia. In his free time, Garrett enjoys hanging out with his wife and two children. He also enjoys playing guitar, piano and golf.

Megan Karlish, Assistant Principal

Previous to becoming an administrator, Mrs. Karlish was a 7th grade Language Arts teacher at U67. Mrs. Karlish has long been a student favorite. This year, she will support teams Cornell, MIT, and Emory. In addition to being an assistant principal, she spends her evenings and weekends chasing her twin toddlers. Interesting fact about Mrs. Karlish is that she’s lived in several states.