Some clarity about the Wake County student assignment process could emerge from Tuesday's school board work session.

The agenda for Tuesday's work session includes a discussion on student assignment. School board chairman Ron Margiotta said he's hoping the discussion about the new directive that was passed last week will answer the questions that board members have about how to proceed.

In addition to talking about the directive, Margiotta said they'll also discuss the equity presentation that was made at this week's student assignment committee meeting.

While the official word isn't expected until later today, it's pretty evident that the Wake County school system isn't winning a $10.3 million federal magnet school grant.

As noted in today's article, school board member John Tedesco confirmed through his congressional contacts that Wake isn't among the $100 million in grant recipients. It's what I'm hearing too.

What it means depends on your point of view.

UPDATE

It's official. Wake didn't win. Click here for the press release from the U.S. Department of Education.  To make it equivalent, it's $100 million this year but potentially up to $300 million over three years. Wake wanted $4 million in the first year for a total of $10.3 million over three years.

The budget news for next year is looking even bleaker for the Wake County school system.

Based on today's budget briefing from Chief Business Officer, the school district is staring at the loss of $100 million next year, including all the money from custodians and most of the money for clerical staff.

A big chunk of the lost money is from the end of federal stimulus dollars.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, won't be able to blame the Wake County school board majority any longer for North Carolina not winning the federal Race To The Top Grant.

As reported earlier today, North Carolina was named one of the 10 recipients for the grant and could receive up to $400 million. Wake, as the state's largest school district, will benefit from the grant.

It took North Carolina two shots to get the grant. After the first rejected application in March, Barber placed part of the blame on Wake abandoning the diversity policy.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, argues that the new Wake County school board majority's abandonment of the diversity policy is endangering North Carolina's efforts to get federal Race to the Top funding.

In an open letter on Tuesday, Barber notes how reviewers of the state's recently failed application pointed to problems such as inequitable funding between schools and the growing achievement gap. Barber argues that the new policies being pursued by Wake will worsen those concerns when the state applies again.

"Why is the Wake County School Board engaged in a 'race to the bottom' strategy that endangers North Carolina's 'Race to the Top' in educational reform?" Barber writes.