Fallsnewspress.com - Grant funds would have strings attached, superintendents say

by Ellin Walsh

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls / Peninsula -- The Falls and Woodridge school districts will not receive money through a federal competitive grant program, and the superintendents contend Race to the Top funds to implement education reform have strings attached, anyway.

Race to the Top is part of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus law. The U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 24 that Ohio was one of 10 recipients of funding as part of the second round of its Race to the Top program.

Neither the Cuyahoga Falls nor the Woodridge school district was in a position to secure any Race to the Top grant funds, the superintendents say, because they failed to submit the necessary paperwork -- signed memorandas of understanding, indicating a commitment from the superintendent, School Board president, and union president to participate in the education reforms.

The Cuyahoga Falls Education Association, the union which represents its teachers, did not sign the memorandum of understanding, so the district did not apply for the funds. Diane Clause, president of the Cuyahoga Falls Education Association, did not return an e-mail seeking comment by press time. Falls Superintendent Dr. Edwin S. Holland said he, too, has concerns about the requirements and conditions on the money. He said he also questions philosophically what role the federal government has in dictating the level of education in Cuyahoga Falls.

Woodridge Superintendent Walter C. Davis said his predecessor, Dr. Jeff Graham, and the Board of Education signed the application for the district, but the Woodridge Education Association did not.

WEA President Jenny Kirchner told the Cuyahoga Falls News-Press in May, "the general membership voted not to sign the MOU because the majority believes that to do so at this time is not in the best interest of either our school district or our union."

A prime concern of WEA members, Kirchner said, is the belief the money furnished by the grant would be "insufficient" to meet its goals.

"The goals and scope of work are the same for smaller districts like Woodridge, which would receive approximately $44,000 each year for four years, and larger districts like Akron which would receive approximately $1.6 million each year for four years," according to Kirchner.

"There is no such thing as 'free' money from any source," Davis said. "It is my understanding that this allocation of funds -- like so many others -- comes with a list of requirements ..."

"Race to the Top funding is not 'free money,' Holland concurred. "The federal funds from the Race to the Top are funds to restructure a school district in accordance with federal guidelines. Thus, any school district that has 'signed on' will have to restructure in order to obtain some of the $400 million."

Holland said it is questionable the RTT funding will be enough to complete the restructuring. "It will be one-time money," Holland said, "and thus the local community will have to fund the changes after the federal money is gone."

Holland said he will wait to see how ODE distributes the federal funds. "I hope that ODE and the governor use the funds to supplement the current state funding," Holland said, "and not do a shell game to supplant existing funding."

E-mail: ewalsh@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3908