Governor forwards application for federal education grant

Gov. Jim Gibbons signed the state's application for a possible $175 million Race to the Top education grant and sent it to the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday.

Applications for the grants are due by June 1, and many other states are expected to apply. Only two states, Delaware and Tennessee, won grants during the first phase of the program.

Nevada will not know for several months whether it will be awarded funds. The state could win a grant of between $60 million and $175 million, which could be used for new programs in the schools.

Gibbons formed a task force on education to help prepare the application. A legislative committee participated in the application, as did the state Department of Education.