California gets $416 million in federal money to turn around state’s worst performing schools

Calif. gets $416M to turn around failing schools

SAN FRANCISCO — State education officials say the federal government has awarded $416 million to California to turn around dozens of its lowest public schools.

Jack O’Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction, said Thursday that California received the money from the U.S. Department of Education’s School Improvement Grants program.

School districts can apply for grants of $50,000 to $2 million to turn around 188 “persistently lowest achieving schools” that state education officials identified in March.

To get the grants, districts will have to take drastic measures to reform the struggling schools, such as converting to a charter school, replacing the principal, firing half the staff or closing entirely and sending the students to another school.