Education - Randolph Record

18 Jan

Lion adjusts to NC Zoo

Randolph RecordNewsEducation, Haji, lion, NC Zoo, North Carolina Zoo, zoo

Haji is settling in at the North Carolina Zoo. Haji, a male lion, came to the zoo in Asheboro in early December. He was designated to be a new companion to a female lion, Mekita. The zoo last week provided information that pointed out that Haji had his first steps in his new habitat. Haji and Meita are alternating schedules in the habitat as they get to know each other. Haji is almost three years old. He was born at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Haji means “journey.” Also, the zoo will be closed Jan. 23-27 for staff training and…

11 Jan

N.C. Treasurer delivers over half a million in found funds to state education officials

A.P. DillonNewsDale Folwell, Education, NC Treasurer, officials, state funds

RALEIGH — Last week, N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell delivered a check for over half a million dollars to State Superintendent Catherine Truitt and N.C. State Board of Education chairman Eric Davis. “At a time when so many schools are in need of money and resources, especially in rural and inner-city districts, every penny found to further North Carolina’s educational mission is a blessing,” Folwell said in a press release. “I see that need not only as a member of SBE, but as chairman of the Local Government Commission, which reviews and approves financing for school projects throughout North Carolina.” …

04 Jan

2023 should bring changes, progress on projects

Bob SuttonEvents, News2023 new year, Education, infrastructure, projects, randolph county

ASHEBORO — There’s plenty to look forward to around Randolph County in 2023. The past year has set some of the foundation for the future. Here’s a sampling: Ongoing megasite impact Certainly, the fallout associated with the Greensboro-Randolph megasite has largely been in its infancy during the past year. With Toyota’s announcement in late 2021 that it’s building a massive battery manufacturing plant at the location, the impact is only going to grow once the facility is up and running. To be known as Toyota Battery Manufacturing-North Carolina, this is plugged as a multi-billion dollar operation. Production is supposed to…

21 Dec

New members of Randolph Board of Education sworn in

Ryan Henkel, North State JournalGovernment, NewsBOE, Education, randolph board of education, randolph county

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Education met on Monday, December 12, to swear in new members and finalize voting for the naming of Trinity High School’s Gymnasium. The meeting opened up with the swearing-in of three members. Current board member Fred Burgess was sworn into a new term, whereas Phillip Lanier and Shannon Whitaker joined the board as new members. The board then unanimously voted to reelect Gary Cook as Board Chair. “Sometimes, especially during COVID, you thought, ‘I don’t know if I want to go back or I could give this up,’” Cook said. “Whether it was…

28 Jun

Asheboro hires new principal with ties to high school

Bob SuttonNewsAsheboro Blue Comets, Asheboro City Schools, Eden Morehead, Education, New principal, Ryan Moody

ASHEBORO – Dr. Ryan Moody will start his job as the new principal of Asheboro High School in mid-July. He should know his way around. Moody’s hiring was announced last week. He comes after serving as principal of Morehead High School in Eden for four years. Moody replaces Dr. Penny Crooks, who has been with the city school system since 2003 and held the title of principal at the high school since 2019. She’s taking a position in the central office. Moody spent part of his youth in Asheboro schools. His mother, Nancy Moody, was an administrator for the city…

27 Apr

Community College report shows major economic impact

Randolph RecordGovernment, Statecommunity college, economy, Education, Randolph Community College, RCC

RALEIGH — A comprehensive new economic impact analysis finds that North Carolina’s 58 Community Colleges have a $19 billion annual impact on the state’s economy and supports more than 320,000 jobs across the state. The economic impact study found for every dollar the state invests in North Carolina’s Community Colleges, the state gains $7.50 in added incomes and social savings. The colleges generate nearly double the revenue from what they take in from the taxpayers. For every $1 the state invests, taxpayers get $1.90 back in added tax revenues and public sector savings, according to the study. “The Community College…

20 Feb

Virtual Academy student wins Randolph County spelling bee

Randolph RecordGovernment, NewsEducation, schools, Spelling Bee

Marcie Rudzinski of the Virtual Academy after spelling the final word “primordial” winning the Randolph County Schools Spelling Bee at Randleman Elementary school in Randleman on February 15th, 2022. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL RANDLEMAN — Maycie Rudzinski of The Virtual Academy at Randolph was the winner of Randolph County School System’s District Spelling Bell on Tuesday at Randleman Middle School. Rudzinski, a seventh-grader, emerged from a field of 25 entrants. She spelled “primordial” – meaning existing at or from the beginning of time -- correctly to clinch the victory. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Rudzinski said of winning and the opportunity…

11 Feb

Asheboro City Schools drops mask mandate

Randolph RecordNewsEducation, masks, schools

ASHEBORO — On the day North Carolina's Speaker of the House called for an end to K-12 masking and quarantine policies, Asheboro City Schools took a first step. In a 10-1 vote, the city schools voted Thursday night to drop mask requirements. The change will go into effect Feb. 21. Randolph County Schools dropped mask rules in November. The Union County School Board voted this week to end contact tracing and quarantines. Randolph County had previously voted to limit contact tracing by school system personnel in November. School Board member Fred Burgess championed the move to report positive cases to…

02 Feb

Moore County book controversy heads to school board

A.P. DillonNewsbooks, Education, library, schools

Alex Gino on September 15, 2016 in front of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele in Berlin during their participation at the section International Children´s and Young Adult Literature of the 16th International Literature Festival Berlin. (Christoph Rieger | CC BY-SA 4.0) RALEIGH — The controversial book “George” remains on the library shelves in two of Moore County's public schools while a complaint filed over the book heads to the Moore County Public Schools board. The book, written by Alex Gino, has been considered controversial for its transgender storyline of a fourth-grade boy who believes he is a girl named Melissa.…

28 Jan

SWR senior is NC State scholarship finalist

Randolph RecordNewsEducation, Kaitlyn Gainey, Park Scholarship, schools, SWR

RALEIGH — An Asheboro student has been named a finalist for N.C. State's top merit scholarship. Kaitlyn Ann Gainey, a senior at Southwestern Randolph High School, has been named a finalist for the Park Scholarship. The Park Scholarships program announced that 112 finalists were named from 2,260 applicants from across the United States. Gainey, who Randolph Record's Athlete of the Week in October, is the daughter of Stephen and Kelly Gainey of Asheboro. She is currently student body president at SWR and was named homecoming queen in 2021. Gainey is her school's Beta Club chapter president and a member of…