Burke, Cabarrus, and Winston-Salem/Forsyth are finalists in the $120 million Race to the Top District (RTT-D) grant competition.  Last year, Guilford County Schools and Iredell-Statesville Schools received RTT-D grants of $29,999,985.84 and $19,999,703, respectively.

RTT-D establishes a direct relationship between school districts and the federal government.  After all, dealing with state departments of education and state legislatures can be a real drag.