RCSS to close Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve following conclusion of school year

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County School System’s Board of Education has made the decision to close Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve following the end of the current school year.

The recommendation for closing the school was presented to the board last month after the district had a study done which showed decreasing enrollment and poor performance results on top of increasing costs of operation.

“I’m fully aware that the recommendation to close Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve is not an easy one,” RCSS superintendent Stephen Gainey said at this week’s board meeting. “But I want you and everyone listening to understand that I believe that the closure of Uwharrie Ridge is in the best interest of all students in the Randolph County School System.”

The district made significant budget cuts heading into the year due to federal and state budget cuts, but the school system is anticipating having to make an additional $2 million budget reduction more heading into next year, hence the decision to close Uwharrie Ridge, which will amount to a savings of around $1.3 million per year.

“At the end of the day, we will save $1.3 million,” board chair Gary Cook. “Our job as the school board is to look at the big picture.”

Without the closure, the district anticipated the potential cutting of around 35-40 jobs.

“Randolph County School System is here to create opportunities for students,” Gainey said. “The savings from the closure of Uwharrie Six-Twelve will prevent other reductions in the school system. This recommendation is for the benefit of the 14,493 students in the Randolph County School System.”

After prolonged discussion, the board voted 4-3 to close the school with Cook, Sharon Farlow, Fred Burgess and Shannon Whitaker voting in favor and Tracy Boyles, Phillip Lanier and Todd Cutler voting against it.

“I’ve taken this very seriously as have my fellow school board members also,” Cutler said. “There’s been countless conversations regarding this. This is a highly emotional and difficult decision.”

“Nobody wants to close the school,” Burgess said. “But I also don’t want 20-plus people to lose their jobs.”

With the decision to close Uwharrie Ridge, the board approved the retaining of the class code for Uwharrie Ridge rising juniors and seniors.

By allowing rising seniors and juniors to stay under the school number for Uwharrie Ridge for the remainder of their years of high school even though they’ll be attending school on the campus of Southwestern Randolph High School, it allows those students to keep their competitive school ranks and be graduates of Uwharrie Ridge.

Future of elementary schools

The board is also considering changing Farmer and Tabernacle Elementary Schools to K-6 schools in order to better distribute students who will be reassigned due to the closure.

Students from Uwharrie Ridge will be reassigned to either Southwestern Randolph Middle School or Southwestern Randolph High School, but there are concerns with the number of students those schools would be taking on.

Therefore, the changes to K-6 would allow those two schools, which according to Gainey are both under 70% capacity, to help alleviate that concern.

“More students would be added to elementary schools that have a lot of vacant space,” Gainey said. “This will reduce the size of Southwestern Randolph Middle School by 91 students, so the concerns about the size at that school would be addressed. Another thing is that elementary school teachers are licensed to teach K-6.”

According to Gainey, those employed at Uwharrie Ridge will be presented with the opportunity to relocate within the district.

“The people at Uwharrie Ridge will get the first dibs on jobs,” Gainey said. “We’re not going to let anybody else move till we get them placed.”

The Randolph County Schools Board of Education will next meet April 20.