Wake school district takes issue with losing grant money

In a letter last week, interim Superintendent Donna Hargens argued that mistakes by one of the three judges who scored the district's application used the wrong criteria and made other factual errors.

Posted 9:10 p.m. Oct 20, 2010 — Updated 9:39 a.m. Oct 25, 2010

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Wake County Public School System is taking issue with the U.S. Department of Education’s recent decision rejecting the school system's application for a $10.3 million magnet school grant.

In a letter last week, interim Superintendent Donna Hargens argued that one of the three judges made mistakes in scoring the application by using the wrong criteria and made other factual errors.

Hargens asked that the application be reconsidered.

The school system had wanted to use the funding from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program to help develop magnet programs at two middle schools and a high school.

Michael Evans, a spokesman for the school system, said Wednesday that district leaders do not believe the education department’s decision will be overturned since the grant money has already been awarded. They, however, did want to go on the record with their concerns.

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