TRINITY — A ribbon cutting will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday for the new Trinity Middle School. The Randolph County Board of Education and members of the school system’s leadership team are holding the event. The public is invited to attend. The new school opens for classes this month.
ASHEBORO — Asheboro City Schools announced a new partnership with ESS who will manage the district’s substitute program. ESS will recruit, screen, train, hire, and manage applicants looking to be part or full-time substitutes in Asheboro City Schools. ESS will place substitute teachers and provide an online substitute management program that allows full-time teachers and staff to log their absences electronically. Those absences are then immediately visible to the substitutes interested in accepting the vacant positions.
Deadline to sign up for virtual learning looms
ASHEBORO — Cloth face coverings will be optional in the Randolph County School System when classes begin next month, a logical next step in returning closer to normal, district superintendent Steven Gainey said Tuesday.
“This is giving people their option,” Gainey said. “The board just felt like it should be the individual decision. … The board and I have been listening to questions about cloth facing coverings for several weeks.”
Last week, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the upcoming elimination of many mask mandates. However, he also recommended that students in grades K-8 wear masks at school. And contradicting its own mask recommendations from this May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to revise its mask guidance Tuesday afternoon, saying fully vaccinated Americans should wear masks indoors in communities where there is substantial or high transmission.
Gainey said the intention in the district is to allow the decision about masks to be with individuals, something that follows his general belief that these things are personal choices.
“It’s parallel to that,” he said. “I’m just really proud of our board. … a board that has really battled this issue.”
The Randolph County School System resolution came at last week’s board of education meeting – a few days before Cooper’s update on the topic. The school system’s decision went into effect immediately, meaning it applies to the remainder of summer school programs as well.
Following the unanimous vote, board chairman Gary Cook said, “We were one of the first school systems to step out last year and go to school when a lot of systems didn’t and we made a decision tonight that not a lot of school systems can make.”
Uwharrie Chater Academy will not require masks for students, staff, and visitors for the opening of the 2021-2022 school year. The school’s board voted last week to end their mask mandate.
The Asheboro City Board of Education will likely take up the issue of mask mandates at an Aug. 12 meeting, according to the school board’s press office.
There will continue to be some restrictions when the school year begins. For instance, Randolph County parents will be prohibited from entering district buildings during school hours as a means to eliminate potential risks during the pandemic.
Even that is subject to change.
“Hopefully we all get past that,” Gainey said.
Gainey said the decision on face coverings was something that the board wasn’t able to make a year ago. Yet he said he received no complaints last year from parents about some restrictions because the desire for in-person learning was so strong throughout the district.
“That tells me how committed our community was to having face-to-face schooling,” he said.
Contract tracing will continue to be part of the district’s procedures when positive cases of coronavirus are identified.
Virtual set-up still available
Randolph County students wishing to be fully virtual for the 2021-22 school year must indicate that by Aug. 1.
This is an option that might suit some families, Gainey said.
As of last week, more than 120 students on the K-8 grade levels had made the commitment for a full school year as part of the stand-alone school for virtual learning. Gainey said it was a risk to set up this academy – which will be run out of a separate building at Tabernacle Elementary School in Asheboro — but something board members felt strongly about.
“I think it answers another need out there,” he said.
Going through another school year of asking teachers to do some virtual and some in-person instruction wasn’t feasible, particularly at the elementary school level, Gainey said.
“It looks like it’s moving in the right direction,” he said.
There remains multiple options for off-campus instruction within the district’s high schools.
Gainey said a survey in the spring convinced the board to offer the virtual versions. “If things ramp up in the summer, people are going to want that option,” he said.
END
ASHEBORO — Uwharrie Charter Academy will not require mask wearing when schools open in the Fall. The K-12 public charter joins Randolph County Schools in relaxing mask rules.
On Monday the Randolph County School Board adopted a resolution ending mask mandates in the county’s largest school system for the 2021-2022 school year. The resolution, adopted unanimously by the board, is effective immediately which allows teachers and students currently in summer school programs to make their own choices regarding mask usage. The new board policy cites CDC guidance and the board’s concern for individuals’ rights to make decisions regarding their own personal health in making the change. The resolution also said harassment, discrimination, bullying, or intimidation based a person’s decision to wear or not wear a mask would not be tolerated.
The Asheboro City Board of Education will likely take up the question of mask mandates at their August 12 meeting, according to the school board’s press office.
Mask rules are changing across the state as Gov. Roy Cooper ended mandatory school mask rules at a press conference Tuesday.
ASHEBORO —The Randolph County School System will have new middle school and several new school leaders this Fall when school starts. The Randolph County Board of Education voted Monday to eliminate requirements that students and staff wear masks to school marking a return to normalcy for some students and teachers. When students return to schools, many will see new principals in the office. Here is a list of the principal changes in the county school system.
Principals who have moved from one RCSS school to another RCSS school in the 2021–22 school year:
From Northeastern Randolph Middle to Liberty Elementary – Dana Johnson
From New Market Elementary to Archdale Elementary – Kim Bowie
From Liberty Elementary to Level Cross Elementary – Kelli Harrell
From Braxton Craven School (school has closed) to Northeastern Randolph Middle – Anthony Grosch
From Hopewell Elementary to Trinity Middle (new school) – Aaron Barr
From Tabernacle Elementary to New Market Elementary – Justin Pugh
From Archdale Elementary to Southmont Elementary – Paula LaPlant
From Level Cross Elementary to Trindale Elementary – Cindy Walker
First–time principals in the 2021–22 school year:
From assistant principal at Tabernacle Elementary and Farmer Elementary to principal at Tabernacle Elementary – Beth Davis
From assistant principal at Trinity High to principal at The Virtual Academy at Randolph (new school) – Justine Carter
Principal of renamed school:
Bruce Carroll began as a principal in RCSS in January 2021 at Archdale–Trinity Middle School. The school has been renamed
Wheatmore Middle School.
ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Board of Education approved several administrative changes for the 2021-2022 at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, July 15.
“We’re pleased to announce Ms. Julie Brady will be the new principal at South Asheboro Middle School and Mr. Chris Burian will move into his first principal position at Charles W. McCrary Elementary School,” said Dr. Aaron Woody, Superintendent in a statement released by the school system. “While we are saddened to see the departure of Mr. Ron Dixon, current principal at South Asheboro Middle School, we know he will continue the tremendous ‘heart’ work of engaging and impacting students across North Carolina.”
Ms. Julie Brady – South Asheboro Middle School
Ms. Brady has served as principal at Charles W. McCrary Elementary School for the last 13 years. Under her leadership, the school has received high marks for academic proficiency and growth, and she has supported a number of special clubs and activities to help close the opportunity gap for students. With her wealth of knowledge and experience as a school administrator, she will provide strong leadership for the team at South Asheboro Middle School.
Mr. Chris Burian – Charles W. McCrary Elementary School
McCrary will move forward under the leadership of Mr. Chris Burian. Mr. Burian began working in Asheboro City Schools in 2006 and has served in a number of classroom and administrative roles at Balfour Elementary, Lindley Park Elementary, North Asheboro Middle, and Donna Lee Loflin Elementary schools. He is a proven educational leader and is excited to join the team at Charles W. McCrary.
Ms. Tracie Ross – Director of Exceptional Children
The district will also welcome Ms. Tracie Ross this year as the new Director of Exceptional Children (EC). Ms. Ross has over 25 years of experience working in EC across the Piedmont-Triad. Ms. Ross is a veteran educator well versed in the complexities of managing an effective Exceptional Children’s program. She is described as a strong leader, collaborative, a problem-solver, and passionate about serving students.
ASHEBORO — Asheboro High School celebrated 300 graduates in its class of 2021. Nearly one-third (91) of the graduates plan to join the workforce immediately. The class received over $10 million in scholarships and grants with 87 students headed to a four-year college or university and 113 off to community college. Seventeen students graduated with an associated degree in addition to a high school diploma.