Race Deadline Nears

January 11, 2010

Many northern Louisiana school districts will be down to the wire deciding whether to participate in the $4.35 billion Race to the Top federal grant program.

The Louisiana DOE is asking local school districts to partner with the state to reform the state’s education system, but districts only have until midnight Monday to sign a partnership agreement that will obligate them to pursue certain reforms in good faith over the course of the four years of the grant and endeavor to raise academic achievement.

The federal grant program, which is still evolving, has many districts intrigued by offering millions of dollars for school improvement, but the strings that may be attached have made many reluctant to fully commit.

Information released late Friday by the state Department of Education listed Ouachita Parish along with Lincoln and Union among the districts who have chosen not to participate.

Superintendent Bob Webber said his district will announce its final decision regarding Race to the Top on Monday. Union Parish will make its decision in its board meeting Monday night.

Union Superintendent Steve Dozier said Friday that he will recommend that the district opt out of the program. "Our trust in the Department of Education is not strong due to the situation that we are currently in over funding for the charter school."

Lincoln Superintendent Danny Bell said that his district decided not to participate largely because of "fluidity" and "trial and error" approach of the program. "There was an inability to determine the actual funding that the school district wo uld receive since the state doesn’t know how much it will receive," he said. Lincoln was also concerned about the possibility the state could require districts to commit to sustaining Race to the Top programs after funding is gone.

"Considering these difficult economic times and declining local revenues, it is hard to know where our district and our state will be in four years." Bell said. "We cannot absorb any more unfunded mandates."

Richland Parish Schools also will decide Monday whether to participate. The board met last week to discuss the program.

"Richland Parish is a poor district, and when you look at the amount of money we could receive, it is hard to turn it down," Secondary Supervisor Sheldon Jones said. "It would be very difficult to sustain programs. But, do we get on board, take the money and go along with the required changes, or opt out and not take the money and possibly still be required to make the changes?"

After spending much of its meeting on Thursday night discussing the Race to the Top program, the Monroe City School Board indicated its intent to pursue the program. The board made its commitment to sign the partnership agreement with the state only after clarifying that they could opt out if the board did not approve the program mandated by the state.

Also included in the state’s list as signing the partnership agreement are East Carroll and Madison Parish.

Louisiana must be chosen by the federal government to participate in Race to the Top. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, estimates of funding released by federal officials indicate Louisiana could receive between $60 million and $ 175 million.

The state Department of Education will submit its application to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Jan. 12 for its approval. The state must submit its application to the federal government by Jan. 19. In order to be considered for the grant, 50 percent of Louisiana’s students must be in districts that have committed to participate in Race to the Top.

If awarded, Louisiana will decide which districts qualify to participate based on the localized plans for school improvement. Whatever allocation the state receives from the federal government will be divided between the Louisiana Department of Education and the participating local districts. At least 50 percent of the monetary award will go to local districts, with the remaining to stay with the state.

Sixty of Louisiana’s districts signed intent to apply forms in December. According to a late Friday release by the DOE, 23 of those had decided to apply, 16 decided not to apply and 21 remained undecided.