Superintendent recommends closing UR/Warrior Ridge 6–12; board sets public hearing for March 9

Superintendent Dr. Ganey told the Randolph County Board of Education on Feb. 16 that a study of the UR/Warrior Ridge 6–12 campus shows sustained enrollment decline and underutilized capacity, and he recommended the board consider closing the campus at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year. The board voted to schedule a public hearing on the proposal for March 9 at 6:00 p.m.

The study, prepared with outside analysts from an operations research and education lab and NC State, documented a decline to 369 students as of Oct. 1 and projected enrollment continuing to drop over the next decade. Dr. Ganey said the campus — which opened in 2003 with a capacity of 660 and converted to a 6–12 model in recent years — “is severely underutilized” and that closing the school would produce system savings. “Closure … will lead to a savings of approximately $1,300,000,” he said during his presentation.

Dr. Ganey walked the board through the study’s findings: historical enrollment numbers and the 1-to-1 technology and CTE…