BEDFORD — In an effort to receive $800,000 or more in federal funds next year, the Bed ford County School Board voted Thursday to participate with the state Department of Education in pursuing a nationally competitive grant.
The board voted 5-2, with one member absent, to approve a memorandum of understanding to take part in the Race to the Top grant program.
Superintendent Douglas Schuch told board members the deadline is Dec. 23 to notify the department of a decision.
Schuch said his understanding is Virginia could be awarded $250 million in grant money through the federal stimulus. Half would go to the state and the other half would go to participating school divisions, he said.
The minimum the division could get for taking part is roughly $800,000, which Schuch said could be available as early as the second half of 2010. It would have to be spent over the next few years, he said.
“Certainly there are strings attached to it,” he said of the funding opportunity. “It could be considerably more than $800,000.” Virginia plans to file its application next month and is looking for divisions’ support, Schuch said.
He said he didn’t see it as a way “to plug holes” in the schools’ budget. “It’s really hard to know what our chances are as a state to get this award,” Schuch said.
“In the challenging economic times we face, can we afford not to go after available money?”
Also Thursday, board members approved a student discipline policy that allows Schuch or his designee to suspend a student for up to 180 school days. The board would only review discipline matters through an appeals process and could uphold, increase or decrease the suspension. Only the board can expel a student, according to its policy.
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