Education

Uwharrie Charter Academy tops SWR for volleyball title

Uwharrie Charter Academy tops SWR for volleyball title

ASHEBORO — Uwharrie Charter Academy rallied from two sets down to beat in-county rival Southwestern Randolph and capture the Piedmont Athletic Conference Touranment for volleyball Wednesday night. SWR took the first set 26-24 and the second set 25-16. Facing a win-or-go-home third set, UCA charged back to capture the third set 25-13. The Eagles took the fourth set 25-13 and the deciding fifth set 15-13. Southwestern Randolph finished 12-0 in regular-season conference play and will play host to the first round of the state playoffs Saturday in SWR's Castelloe Gym. For the Cougars, Payton Shiflet had 29 kills and nine…
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County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

County schools to spend some COVID relief funds on employee bonuses

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Public School System will pay every employee a $5,000 bonus, according to a resolution adopted by the school board on Monday. The resolution says the bonuses will be paid from funds received by the system from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds from the federal government. Randolph County Schools has received nearly $50 million in ESSER funding which was included in the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide premium pay to employees and substitutes to address COVID-related disruptions and staff shortages. According to the school board, substitutes who work…
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School COVID numbers decline

School COVID numbers decline

ASHEBORO — Positive cases and quarantines in schools are on the decline in Randolph County and around the country. In the Asheboro City Schools, 13 positive cases were reported last week resulting in 43 people quarantined. In Randolph County Schools, there were 73 positive cases and 361 people quarantined. Just 10 of the 361 people quarantined were from a school exposure. Asheboro City Schools reported a 33% reduction in positive cases in the first three weeks of October compared to the first three weeks of September. Randolph County reported a 46% reduction in positive cases during the same period. Last…
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PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Cougars’ comeback leads to record night

PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Cougars’ comeback leads to record night

Southwestern Randolph’s Eli Gravely makes a catch over Randleman’s Jozey Akines. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL Southwestern Randolph hits seven wins as Cole collects school TD mark RANDLEMAN -- It took a record-breaking performance for Southwestern Randolph to win its latest football game. And that could mean more records for the Cougars this season. Southwestern Randolph overcame host Randleman for a 28-23 victory Friday night. Junior receiver Adam Cole scored two touchdowns to set the single-season school record for touchdowns. The Cougars (7-1, 2-1 Piedmont Athletic Conference) have matched the school record for wins. They’ll try to break that in Friday…
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Eastern Randolph makes shift to 1-A classification

Eastern Randolph makes shift to 1-A classification

Eastern Randolph’s Davonte Brooks runs the ball against Southwestern Randolph during a Piedmont Athletic Conference football game Oct. 1 in Ramseur. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL RAMSEUR – For a school with so much athletic success through the years, it might be strange to view Eastern Randolph as the little guy. But that’s how the Wildcats are listed when it comes to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Eastern Randolph is a Class 1-A school, reflecting the group with the smallest enrollment. “For 1-A, we’re not bad,” football coach Burton Cates said. In football, the Wildcats are undefeated this season…
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Community College System President visits RCC

Community College System President visits RCC

ASHEBORO — North Carolina Community College System President Thomas Stith III toured Randolph Community College in Asheboro last week. Stith, in his first year at the NCCCS helm, has now visited 31 of the state’s 58 community colleges. Stith visited the new Allied Health Center, Continuing Education and Industrial Center, Photography Imaging Center and JB and Claire Davis Corporate Training Center. “We have 58 great community colleges throughout the state of North Carolina,” said Stith in a release from RCC. “We just saw state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, and I’m just so impressed with the programs that are offered here and the…
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County schools honor teacher, principal of the year

County schools honor teacher, principal of the year

ASHEBORO — Katie Husband of Franklinville Elementary is the Randolph County School System 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year. Finalists for Teacher of the Year were Paige Rollins of Eastern Randolph, Philip Schuyler of Randolph Early College, Emily Caudill of Trindale Elementary and Eliza Sanders of Northeastern Randolph Middle. Jamie Armfield of Seagrove Elementary is the RCSS Principal of the Year.
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County schools extend superintendent’s contract

County schools extend superintendent’s contract

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Board of Education met Monday and voted to extend the contract of system superintendent Stephen Gainey. The board members said in a release they appreciated the difficulty of navigating the delivery of education during the Covid-19 pandemic and applauded Gainey’s dedication, long hours, and focus during the constantly changing situation. The board extended Gainey's contract through June 30, 2025, and awarded him a salary increase of 4%.
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Randolph County school board calls special meeting on COVID

Randolph County school board calls special meeting on COVID

ASHEBORO — With eight schools currently affected by COVID-19 quarantine protocols due to contact tracing, The Randolph County Board of Education has called a special meeting for Sunday, August 29 at 2pm In an email to the North State Journal, the county’s largest school system said its leaders would meet at the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center Auditorium at Randolph Community College, 629 Industrial Park Avenue, Asheboro, for the purpose of discussing the current status of COVID-19 in the Randolph County School System and COVID-19 protocols. The system said Monday that Southeastern Randolph Middle School, Southwestern Randolph high School, Southwestern Randolph Middle School, Randleman…
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RCC cancels live graduation ceremony

RCC cancels live graduation ceremony

ASHEBORO — A planned in-person graduation ceremony at Randolph Community College scheduled for Aug. 27 has been cancelled. The event was intended to celebrate students who completed degree programs in Fall 2020, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021. The ceremony was optional for graduates. The school made the cancellation announcement Monday saying they based their decision on “new information.”
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