WINDSOR – Bertie County Schools will spend the next few weeks deciding how to use five new instructional days added to the school calendar.

The state budget, which was adopted last month, added five days to the school year, but allowed locals boards of education to apply for waivers to allow any of those days to be retained as teacher workdays.

The only caveat is that those days must be used to enhance student performance.

The state budget authorized the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction to grant the waivers.

Last week, during the regular meeting of the Bertie County Board of Education, that body approved allowing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debbie Harris-Rollins to begin that waiver process.

“We are in the process of deciding how best to use those five days,” Dr. Harris-Rollins told the board. “We are already pretty certain that two of them will be used as teacher workdays.”

Board member Alton Parker asked if they would be mandatory workdays and Dr. Harris-Rollins said they would.

Dr. Harris-Rollins said the administration would be making decision about the other three days and informing the board of their findings, but needed approval to begin the process.

Board member Emma Johnson moved to allow the district to begin the waiver process and the motion passed by a unanimous vote.

In other business, the board:

• approved an agreement  with Studio H to continue providing classes at the Bertie Early College High School through Pitt Community College;
• adopted the School Resource Officer agreement pending receiving information from Bertie County Sheriff John Holley;
• supported budget amendments to close out the 2010-11 academic year;
• recognized WyKevin Bazemore for being selected to the East-West All-Star basketball game; and
• approved the Superintendent’s Personnel Report.