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Ohio wins $400M in ‘Race to the Top’ funds; local districts will get money

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By Margo Rutledge Kissell, Staff Writer Updated 9:35 PM Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Ohio has won $400 million in the “Race to the Top” school reform grant competition, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday, Aug. 24.

It will share second-round funding in the $4.35 billion competition with Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.

A dozen Montgomery County districts are expected to receive nearly $10.3 million, with Dayton Public Schools receiving the largest share with $6.4 million spread over four years.

Trotwood-Madison will receive $868,112 over that period; Kettering City Schools, $673,534; and Huber Heights, $605,563.

“Anytime there is an award of dollars that can strengthen providing a quality of education system, it’s great,” Dayton Public Schools superintendent Lori Ward said.

“What it really means now is for the Dayton Public Schools management and Dayton Education Association to sit down and craft our plan,” Ward said.

She said she’s anxious to see how that funding can be used “to move students to a higher academic level.”

Dayton Public Schools didn’t participate in the first year of the grant program because the teachers union objected to grant language that tied teacher evaluations and retention to student performance. This time the union signed off on it.

In Greene County, Xenia Community Schools would get $566,662; Beavercreek City Schools, $131,265; and Bellbrook-Sugarcreek $100,000.

The Race to the Top fund, part of President Obama’s overall economic stimulus plan, is considered the largest pot of discretionary funding for K-12 education reform in the nation’s history. The competition rewards ambitious reforms aimed at improving struggling schools and closing the achievement gap.

Gov. Ted Strickland, state school Superintendent Deborah Delisle and others clapped in Strickland’s cabinet room at a press conference about the win.

Strickland said changes to the school system, including a residency program for new teachers and a teacher-mentoring program enacted last year , helped Ohio become a winner.

Delise said that federal officials may give final approval to the state’s plan for spending the money by December but Scott Blake, Ohio Department of Education spokesman, said later that it’s unclear just when the first dollars will come to the state.

Staff Writer William Hershey contributed to this report.

What area school districts stand to gain

What area school districts will gain in federal money as part of the Ohio Department of Education winning the Race to the Top funds. The state requested $400 million, and the amounts below are based on that figure.

Montgomery County