The Randolph County Board of Commissioners approved several funding requests and policy updates during its regular meeting held on March 2.
The meeting addressed a range of topics important to county operations, including school facility repairs, law enforcement equipment, agricultural land preservation, and support for local organizations. These decisions impact the quality of public services and resource allocation in Randolph County.
Dr. Stephen Gainey from the Randolph County School System requested $878,000 from the Public School Building Repair & Renovation Fund, sourced from the North Carolina Educational Lottery, to replace the roof at Coleridge Elementary School. The board approved this request. Recent data show that among senior students in Randolph County school districts taking the science portion of the ACT in the 2022-23 school year, 15.9% were considered ready for college; for juniors, this figure was 14.2%, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In reading, 23.6% of seniors and 21.1% of juniors met college readiness benchmarks according to state data. For math, 13.1% of seniors and 10.1% of juniors were deemed college-ready by the same source.
Kim Heinzer, Director of Planning & Zoning, presented an updated Unified Development Ordinance reflecting changes discussed at a previous meeting; commissioners approved these updates related to signage regulations. Chief Deputy Steven Nunn from the Sheriff’s Office received approval for two requests: purchasing three new police responder vehicles totaling $142,099.02 and acquiring 225 Glock pistols with holsters and sights using restricted law enforcement funds for $295,188.
Bobby Allen reported that eleven new parcels have been added to the Voluntary Agricultural District program, bringing total enrollment to over 131,000 acres dedicated to agriculture in Randolph County. The board also approved an updated Library Board of Trustees Ordinance and new by-laws as presented by County Manager Zeb Holden.
Nikki Jenkins from Randolph County Family Crisis Center described increased demand for services—up by sixty percent—and reduced funding levels leading to budget cuts and efforts to diversify revenue streams. Jenkins was joined by Board Member Aundrea Azelton and District Attorney Andy Gregson in requesting a $75,000 advance for matching grants; this request was approved as a replacement for their usual budget request for fiscal year 2026-2027.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 6 at the Historic Courthouse in Asheboro.
