School Districts Hopeful for Grant Funding

January 21, 2010

Officials from both Iredell-Statesville Schools and the Mooresville Graded School District are hopeful North Carolina’s application for a "Race To The Top" grant will be answered with a much-needed cash infusion.

On Monday, Gov. Beverly Perdue sent North Carolina’s application for the federal program, which was derived from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The state is eligible for $400 million in education funding.

I-SS is eligible for $417,341 while MGSD is eligible for $60,822 in grant funding. The amount schools will be awarded is based on student population.

States will be scored during the competitive grant process on how well they have raised student achievement, planned for future reform and implemented schooling standards set by the U.S. Department of Education.
Grant winners will be announced in April. If North Carolina is awarded a grant, funding will come in four-year, $100 million increments.

MGSD Spokesperson Dreisa Sherrill said there are several initiatives for which the district could use the money.

"We are excited and hopeful we will receive the grant," she said. "All the funding will be used for us to reach our mission of serving every child every day."

I-SS Public Relations Director Dawn Creason said the district will take any money that’s available.
"We are applying for any grant out there that will be good for us," she said.

Applications for Phase 1 of the program were due Tuesday. Applications for Phase 2 are due June 1.