N.C. a finalist for public education grant

 From Staff Reports, Raleigh News & Observer

North Carolina has another shot at tens of millions in federal money to improve public education.

North Carolina joins 18 other states and Washington D.C. as finalists for Race to the Top grants. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, is set to announce the finalists at a speech this afternoon. The U.S. Department of Education gave the Associated Press a list of finalists before the speech.

This is the second round of the Race to the Top competition. North Carolina was a finalist in the first round, which saw Tennessee and Delaware walking away with the money. North Carolina is eligible for up to $400 million.

The $3.4 billion left to hand out in grants is coming from the federal stimulus.