Bibb, Peach to apply for Race to the Top extension | Education | Macon.com

FORT VALLEY — As Georgia’s Race to the Top funds dwindle, some local school systems are considering applying for an extension, which will allow them more time to use the rest of their funds.

Meanwhile, Peach County schools will apply for a separate, federal grant that could pump millions into the school system, officials said Thursday during a Board of Education meeting.

Statewide, 26 districts — including Bibb and Peach counties — received a total of $400 million through the federal grant for school improvement, which was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Those funds, which have been used to boost technology and hire faculty, among other uses, are scheduled to run out Sept. 30.

The grants were to help schools implement plans in four education reform areas: Recruiting, rewarding and retaining effective teachers; adopting standards and tests that help students succeed in a college and the workplace; creating data systems that measure student growth and success; and turning around low-achieving schools, according to the state Department of Education.

Bibb County, which received $13.3 million, is applying for an extension, which will allow the district to use any remaining funds through June 2015, Jo-ne Bourassa, Race to the Top coordinator for Bibb, wrote in an e-mail to The Telegraph.

Peach County, which received $1.3 million, is considering applying for an extension. At the beginning of the school year, about $350,000 was left, said Gail Swain, Peach district director of grants and administrative services.

via Bibb, Peach to apply for Race to the Top extension | Education | Macon.com.