Springdale School District gets $25.88 million grant

The Springdale School District won a grant of $25.88 million as one of five school districts announced Tuesday as winners of this year's U.S. Department of Education Race to the Top grant competition for school districts.

"It really is an enormous Christmas gift for the students of Springdale," said Jim Rollins, Springdale superintendent.

Springdale was a finalist for the competition last year, but was not awarded a grant.

This year's Race to the Top grant competition divides $120.86 million among districts in five states, with four-year awards ranging from $10 million to $30 million. The money supports locally developed plans to personalize and improve student learning, increase student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student for success in college and careers.

The competition for Race to the Top money drew more than 200 applications in October, and the department in November named 31 finalists that represented 80 school districts in 21 states.

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