WINDSOR – Elizabeth City State University has awarded a $26,000 grant to Bertie County Schools.

The university awarded the grant through the Northeastern North Carolina School Leadership Program for the district’s “A Language for Leadership” program.

The project will run from June through November of the current year.

All Bertie County Schools Principals and Assistant Principals will be trained through the program as well as Central Services Administration.

The program will allow the district leaders to engage in job-embedded professional learning with private consultants and private vendors.

The grant was announced at a recent meeting of the Bertie County Board of Education by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Debbie Harris-Rollins. She said the grant was approved for the entire district.

“Bertie Middle School and Colerain Elementary applied a year ago,” Harris-Rollins said. “Bertie Middle completed the program, but Colerain did not, probably because of the change of leadership.”

She said the people at Elizabeth City State allowed the $8,000 that had been awarded to Colerain a year ago to roll over as part of the $26,000 allocation.

“The people at Elizabeth City State have been very supportive,” she said.

School board policy requires approval of any grant received by the district. The board members reviewed the grant during their called meeting June 14 and commended Harris-Rollins on the work to receive the funding.

Board member Pamela Chamblee offered a motion to approve the grant and it passed by a 4-0 vote. Board member Rickey Freeman was not at the meeting.

In other business, the board:

• granted approval to Maintenance Director Matthew Bond to hire a wastewater operator and back-up operator on contract; and
• held a closed session to discuss personnel.