The Osceola County School District this week officially threw its name into the federal Race to the Top grant application pool, moving forward without the support of the teachers union.

The School Board Tuesday signed on to the Florida Department of Education’s Race to the Top application, and unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding to qualify the county school system to receive any funds the state could acquire through the grant program.

But although the application got the green light from school officials, it failed to gain support from the Osceola Classroom Teachers Association, which refused to sign the memorandum of understanding, citing “serious concerns that have yet to be addressed by FLDOE,” including pay versus performance issues.

Districts have until Tuesday to sign on to the state’s application, which will be sent to Washington, D.C., Jan. 19. Officials said there’s a possibility Superintendent Michael Grego could meet with the local union to reach a compromise before the deadline.

The competitive grant would be awarded to school systems nationwide supporting public education reform.

Part of President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package, the grants would see states compete against each other for $4.35 billion in education funding.

According to the U.S. Department of Education Web site, states seeking Race to the Top dollars would be awarded funds based on four major criteria, including turning around low-performing schools.

“It’s a bold grant,” Grego said.

States will be evaluated on a 500-point system, with the largest number of points going to states that improve teacher effectiveness by using student performance to help rate and compensate instructors.

However, teachers unions in Florida and around the country are concerned about the accountability reforms being proposed as part of Race to the Top, particularly plans to tie teacher pay to student performance.

“We don’t want to bring in money that’s going to have so many strings attached to it that it’s going to undermine everything we do,” Osceola Classroom Teachers Association President Kathy Donato said.

The state, in its application, wrote the money would position the department “to weave a common core of rigorous standards and assessments into a pioneering data system that will serve as a foundation to attract, retain, and support top-notch teachers and school leaders who will, in turn, improve student achievement in Florida's schools.”

In a presentation given at Tuesday’s meeting, Deputy Superintendent for Secondary Administration Debra Pace said teachers and administrators willing to work in struggling schools also could receive stipends.

State education officials want all Florida’s school districts to sign off on the Race to the Top application to help increase the state’s chances of winning funds.

If eligible, the district could receive $1.5 million to $2 million annually for four years.

Proponents of Race to the Top say it gives districts an opportunity to earn money at a time when schools are struggling economically.

“When we’re in the middle of a money crunch and there’s opportunity to improve student achievement, I'm at a loss as to why we wouldn’t at least want to sit down and discuss,” School Board member David Stone said.

But critics say the state’s plans to win Race to the Top dollars place too much emphasis on state tests, like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, without taking into account the fact that some students may not place enough of their focus on studying.

“Teachers do the best they can, but you can’t force them (students),” Donato said. “How can I be held accountable for a student that doesn’t want to take the test properly?”

The reforms being advocated by Race to the Top shouldn’t affect Florida as much as other states, officials said, because many of the changes have already been implemented.

“We already have a lot of scrutiny going on here,” Stone, who teaches math and geometry at an Orlando middle school, said. “A lot of these things add up to much the same under Race to the Top.”

The state will know by mid-April whether the federal government approves its application. If approved, the district will have until August to negotiate and submit an implementation plan to the state.