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Gates grant finalist pulls out; Hillsborough schools await word

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2009

TAMPA - One of five finalists has withdrawn from the $100 million Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation education grant, a national competition the Hillsborough district is confident of winning.

Omaha Public Schools walked away this week from the prestigious grant after learning it would need $65 million to fulfill a plan for increasing teacher effectiveness and improving the quality of education.

"We were under the impression it would be $28 million," district spokeswoman Luanne Nelson said today.

Foundation officials notified the district last month that it would receive $50 million at most, meaning Omaha needed to make up the balance with its own money.

School leaders went to community philanthropists, who already have contributed heavily to other educational programs, Nelson said.

Their answer: "Probably not."

Hillsborough Public Schools has pledged to match any Gates grant with local dollars for a seven-year program that would overhaul the local school system.

District spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said the plan is still in place. Gates foundation officials were meeting with local school leaders today, though an official announcement of winners is not expected until Nov. 19.

Only four finalists will be considered now: Pittsburgh, Memphis, a group of Los Angeles charter schools and Hillsborough.

Omaha's exit will have no affect on standing or award amounts for any of the remaining finalists, foundation spokesman Chris Williams said today.

Although Hillsborough officials believe they will receive the $100 million they applied for, "it's not done until it's done," Williams said.

He called the situation in Omaha unfortunate.

"The gap between what they were expecting to get and what they needed was too wide," he said.

But Omaha's Nelson said the district was caught by surprise. Like everywhere else in the country, Omaha is grappling with a bad economy and cutbacks.

"It was a very tough business situation," she said. "We are disappointed."

Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144.

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