Students, Parents Pack Meeting to Oppose Uwharrie Ridge Closure

ASHEBORO — In a packed meeting Monday evening, around 150 students, parents, and staff attended a board of education meeting to voice their opposition to closing Uwharrie Ridge 6-12.

At last month's meeting, the Randolph County Board of Education presented a report outlining the arguments for closing the school, citing a steady decline in student interest and persistent academic challenges.

Since its 2017 conversion to a grade 6-12 school, enrollment has dropped 27%, from a high of 507 students to 369 in the current school year. Independent forecasts from NC State University's Institute for Transportation Research and Education suggest this trend will continue, with projections showing as few as 310 students by 2032.

Beyond low enrollment, the report cites state data showing the school has carried a "Low Performing" designation for nearly its entire existence, earning "D" or "F" letter grades and failing to meet targets — deficiencies district leadership argues would be addressed by moving students to Southwestern Randolph Middle and High Schools, where they would gain access to Advanced Placement courses and Career and Technical Education programs like Agriculture and Culinary Arts not currently offered at Uwharrie Ridge.

Finances are also a factor. In North Carolina, state funding for teacher positions is tied directly to enrollment — the fewer students a school has, the fewer teaching positions the state will pay for. Uwharrie Ridge's low enrollment, spread across six grade levels, means the district must locally fund several teaching positions the state won't cover, at roughly $80,000 each. Closing Uwharrie Ridge, the district estimates, would free up approximately $1.3 million annually.

While the move would increase average commutes for affected families — from around 8 miles to 13 miles — the study confirms that the receiving schools have more than enough vacant seats to accommodate the new students without overcrowding.

The proposal has drawn sharp pushback from the community. A public comments meeting was held Monday, March 9, at 6 p.m. to allow public comment ahead of the next regular board meeting on Mar 16 — where the public comment period will be limited to 30 minutes. Around 45 people spoke Monday evening, all in opposition to closing the school.

Parents, students, and staff argued that the district's academic and financial framing missed the point entirely. Uwharrie Ridge, they said, offers something larger schools cannot replicate — teachers who know every student by name, smaller classes that benefit struggling learners, and a sense of safety and belonging.

One parent described how her daughter, enrolled in a self-contained special education class, was able to participate in cheer, sports and other activities in ways she likely could not have at a larger school. "She is seen," the parent told the board, "and she wouldn't be nowhere near where she is without that support.”

Several speakers also challenged the district's explanation for the school's enrollment decline. One parent pointed to the board's 2019 decision to eliminate high school sports at Uwharrie Ridge as a significant driver of the drop in student numbers, arguing the trend reflects the consequences of prior policy choices rather than a lack of interest in the school. According to the district's own study, enrollment began declining steadily after athletics were discontinued at the start of the 2021-2022 school year, but the report does not draw a link between the two, rather noting some athletics were canceled due to low enrollment. 

Among the most vocal were the students themselves. Several took the podium to describe their concern at the loss of small class sizes, close relationships with friends and teachers, and the difficulty of starting over at a much larger school. One junior said that if transferred, he would struggle both academically and mentally. An eighth-grader with special needs delivered her own prepared remarks, drawing an emotional response from the crowd. Several students expressed concerns about a loss of scholarship opportunities. 

Opposition has also spread online with a change.org petition generating 1,021 signatures as of Monday night, describing Uwharrie Ridge as "more than just a school — it's a pillar of support and opportunity for countless children and families." The petition warns that closure "would displace hundreds of children, forcing them into overcrowded classrooms at neighboring schools," and calls on community members and local officials to keep the school open.