GRANTSBURG—The Grantsburg School District has signed on to be eligible for their share of the 'Race to the Top' funds, a potential of $110,000 over four years.

In learning about the school improvement initiative at its meeting Monday night, the Grantsburg School Board learned the 'Race to the Top' is a $4 billion fund created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Race to the Top provides incentives to states to implement large-scale, system-changing reforms that result in improved student achievement, narrowed achievement gaps, and increased graduation and college enrollment rates.

Specifically, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the initiative asks schools to adopt standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; build data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; recruit, develop, reward, and retain effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and turn around the lowest-achieving schools.

"A lot of the things the initiative asks the district is already doing," Superintendent Joni Burgin noted. "Instead of hiring more staff for the four years and then have to let them go, they are suggesting staff-building to make our existing staff stronger."

Read more in the Jan. 13 issue of the Sentinel