Stephen Gainey

Most basketball title teams from state finals come from West Region

Most basketball title teams from state finals come from West Region

Stephen Gainey, president of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, helped present awards during the state tournament in Winston-Salem. Gainey is superintendent of the Randolph County School System. Here, he poses with Reidsville’s Johnniyus Sharpe, right, who was named Most Valuable Player of the Class 2A boys' state final. (NCHSAA photo) WINSTON-SALEM — Here’s a look at the state championship results for boys’ and girls’ basketball in the North Carolina High school Athletic Association. State finals were played Friday and Saturday at Joel Coliseum. Friday Class 1A boys: Corvian Community 58, Southern Wake 55, OT Class 1A girls: Cherokee…
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NCHSAA aims to speed process to set calendar, playoff formats

NCHSAA aims to speed process to set calendar, playoff formats

The next step for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association is to set the playing calendar for the 2025-26 school year and devise playoff formats for the new eight-classification set-up. Expect that to be expediated. “If we had it ready, it would be out there,” said NCHSAA president Stephen Gainey, who’s also superintendent of the Randolph County School System. “We know the coaches and the ADs and principals need it.” The NCHAA board of directors completed the conference realignment process last week by approving a final version. Gainey and NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker answered questions last Thursday. The calendar…
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Security breach draws scrutiny at RCSS school

Security breach draws scrutiny at RCSS school

TRINITY — The head of the Randolph County School system has vowed that the district will be more attentive to safety issues and he said broken hinges on a door that contributed to an intruder entering a school last week have been repaired. Superintendent Stephen Gainey addressed the incident at Hopewell Elementary School in a message to parents and district residents, apologizing for the high level of anxiety that was created last week. “While the situation did occur, it should never have happened,” Gainey said. “This individual had no business on the campus of Hopewell Elementary School, and definitely didn’t…
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RCSS Board of Education voices displeasure with school calendar law

RCSS Board of Education voices displeasure with school calendar law

ASHEBORO – Frustrations have been growing around the state in regard to school calendar law and Randolph County is no exception. At its February business meeting, the Randolph County Schools Board of Education was presented with the 2026-27 school calendar and many of the board members voiced their displeasure with the current law. According to state law, traditional public schools are forbidden from starting earlier than the Monday nearest to Aug. 26. What this then means is that districts are typically unable to finish the first semester before winter break meaning students have to come back to take exams after…
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School notes: RCSS uses remote days for first time since pandemic

School notes: RCSS uses remote days for first time since pandemic

ASHEBORO — The first remote learning days of the school year were held last week in the Randolph County School System because of inclement weather. Those sessions came on consecutive days because of weather-related concerns. There were no remote instructional days during the 2023-24 school year for RCSS. Amber Ward, the district’s public information officer, said that prior to last week the last remote days for students came during the pandemic. RCSS superintendent Stephen Gainey said the district had already absorbed five unscheduled days off that had been reserved for such situations this school year. So the next step, he…
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RCSS seeks to hire more bus drivers

RCSS seeks to hire more bus drivers

ASHEBORO — The need for bus drivers is ongoing within the Randolph County School System. Superintendent Stephen Gainey said the latest push to attract more drivers isn’t an alarm as much as a reminder that the topic remains on the minds of school administrators. “Our No. 1 job is taking care of children,” Gainey said. “We have to get them to school.” As of last week, there were 26 positions open that include responsibilities as bus drivers. That’s a reduction from a few years ago when the problem became heightened. “It has been a pretty steady need since the pandemic…
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Area schools don’t shift in second NCHSAA league draft

Area schools don’t shift in second NCHSAA league draft

There were no changes involving Randolph County schools in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s second draft of conference alignments. That revised draft was released this week. “What I gather is our schools are pretty happy where they are,” said Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County School System. RCSS has six high schools as part of the NCHSAA. Gainey began a term as NCHSAA president last summer, so has a keen eye on the topic. Appeals and comments from schools regarding the conference make-ups are due Tuesday. The realignment committee is scheduled to meet again Feb. 3-4. “A…
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RCSS parents go on alert with phone snags

RCSS parents go on alert with phone snags

ASHEBORO — Officials with the Randolph County School System are working with a new provider to work out snags that have popped up regarding the district’s alert system. Amber Ward, the public information officer for RCSS, said a couple of phone carriers have blocked the number used for the alerts so that messages haven’t reached all their intended audiences. The situation became heightened last week when there were weather-related delays and closures. Ward said RCSS switched during the summer to a different website provider and, as part of that, it has meant a different process for the phone alert system.…
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Uwharrie Ridge focusing in on post-secondary career readiness

Uwharrie Ridge focusing in on post-secondary career readiness

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County School System's Board of Education was given an update on a new vision and focus for Uwharrie Ridge at a regular business meeting earlier this month. “One of the challenges we’ve been working through as a leadership team, Uwharrie Ridge is a unique place being that it’s a 6-12 school so it has middle and high school grade levels,” superintendent Stephen Gainey said. “We’ve been continuing to look for ways of what can make Uwharrie Ridge 6-12 standout and continue to attract students to it. It is an application school. You can go if that’s…
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Waiting for conference configurations factors into NCHSAA meetings

Waiting for conference configurations factors into NCHSAA meetings

ASHEBORO — Putting together conferences for the new North Carolina High School Athletic Association classifications is a priority and that became a factor regarding several topics during last week’s bi-annual meetings. Stephen Gainey, the superintendent of the Randolph County School System, is serving as NCHSAA president. He said the overwhelming issue that schools want resolved is the release of the next conference alignments in the newly configured eight-class set-up. “I want that information as soon as possible,” Gainey said. Gainey said the board dealt with “a lot of operational issues” during its gathering in Chapel Hill. He said it was…
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