 Union High School originally opened in mid-August 2011.The school was formed with the consolidation of Appalachia High School and Powell Valley High School during late 2010-2011 under the direction of Wise County Public Schools in a plan that brought the number of high schools in the county from six to three.The name Union represents the unity between the two former rivals, and serves as the goal of the student body to come together as a single group.