Iowa City superintendent recommends applying for ‘Race for the Top’ funds

Superintendent Lane Plugge is recommending the Iowa City school district make another run at the federal government's Race to the Top program.

Plugge will ask the school board next week to submit a memorandum of understanding with the Iowa Department of Education to apply for the program. The deadline for doing so is May 14.

This is the second round of funding for the federal program, with about $3.4 billion available for states to improve education.

In the first phase only Delaware and Tennessee received funding.

About 60 percent of Iowa's 361 school districts submitted the memorandum of understanding in the first round in January. Iowa City was alone among the state's eight largest public school districts is seeking the funding, although it had reservations.

One of the main criticisms then was over a part of the legislation that included plans meant to help turn around low-performing schools. School officials said one provision would require school districts and teacher unions to agree on one of four approaches to improve schools, which some school officials felt was an inappropriate extension of collective bargaining.

Plugge said he has been told school districts would be subject to that provision only if they want additional money on top of what they initially receive.

He said the Iowa City school district would receive a minimum of $1.875 million if Iowa is awarded funds.

The school board's meeting starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the central administrative office, 509 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.