ARKANSAS — Schools in Arkansas, including Gravette, are waiting for word that the state will receive its share of hundreds of millions of dollars of federal stimulus money.
Gravette school board, in a special meeting last Thursday, voted to join with other state schools through the State Department of Education to participate in applying for the funds in “Arkansas Race to the Top”.
The state agency is reviewing the applications of more than 240 school districts as well as charter schools which will be a part of the state’s application.
Arkansas is in competition with 15 states which are eligible to participate in the program. Just whichstates will receive federal approval will not be known until sometime in late March or early April, said Pat Hastings, Special Projects Coordinator for the Gravette school district.
If Arkansas is approved, that will be the green light for Gravette to submit its proposal for use of the funds.
The school administration and board are considering how such funds might be used. But the amount of funds available will not be known until the approval is received.
According to state information, some $4.35 billion in grants will be awarded in two rounds, the first in April, the second later in the year.
According to the BentonCounty Record, “Winners will be chosen according to a combination of demonstrated need and adherence to education goals set by the federal government.
“Those include college and career readiness for graduating high school seniors, teacher effectiveness, use of longitudinal data systems to improve curriculum and intensive intervention for low-performing schools.”
Julie Johnson Thompson, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Education, said that if the state application is approved districts which joined (including Gravette) “will be assured of getting some of the money.” The amount is just not known.
News, Pages 1 on 01/13/2010