Randolph County Schools lands $1.19M funding boost as state districts face cuts
Superintendent Stephen Gainey credited 13 years of county funding increases — and a capital outlay fund that has nearly quadrupled since 2014 — as commissioners approved the district's 2026-27 budget request.
Tucker, Ebenezer / Wikimedia Commons
While school districts across North Carolina are cutting budgets, Randolph County Schools is heading into 2026-27 with more local money than ever — and its superintendent wants the county commissioners to know he noticed.
At the Board of Education's July meeting, Superintendent Stephen Gainey publicly thanked the Randolph County Commissioners for approving the district's local budget request, which included an increase of $1,189,436 in current expense funding. The commissioners voted on the measure June 15.
On June 15, the county commissioners approved our local budget and approved an increase of $1,189,436 in current expense funding.— Stephen Gainey, RCSS Superintendent
In total, the county's 2026-27 budget sets aside just under $44 million for education, with roughly $30 million earmarked for Randolph County Schools, according to the Randolph Record.
Gainey framed the increase not as a one-time windfall but as part of a long-running pattern — one he said has held for more than a decade.
For 13 years, per year, we're actually averaging an increase in funding and that average is continuing to go up, which means more money is being put into our local budget.— Stephen Gainey, RCSS Superintendent
Beyond the operating budget, Gainey also highlighted a separate special capital outlay fund the commissioners created in the 2014-15 school year — money used specifically for physical upkeep of school buildings.
It started in the 2014-15 year and we are using it for roofs, windows, doors, fencing, you name it. We've used it. We did not have that in 2013-14 and so the commissioners started that fund with $250,000 and now it's a recurring $950,000.— Stephen Gainey, RCSS Superintendent
That fund has grown nearly fourfold since its launch — a detail Gainey used to underscore what he described as an unusually cooperative relationship between the two elected bodies.
I wanted to take a moment to thank our commissioners for their teamwork with our board. It always works better when two groups of elected officials are going in the same direction and that's what is happening here.— Stephen Gainey, RCSS Superintendent
The Randolph County Schools Board of Education is next scheduled to meet August 17.
Why it matters — With school budget cuts spreading across North Carolina, Randolph County's sustained and growing local investment in its schools — now topping $30 million annually — directly affects the condition of school buildings and the resources available to students and staff in the district.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- The funding increase and budget figures relate to the 2025-2026/2026-2027 budget cycle
- dek phrasing of '13 consecutive years of county funding increases' softened to '13 years of county funding increases' to match source wording of averaging increases
Reported by randolphrecord.com, randolphcountync.gov, randolph.k12.nc.us
