Georgia is still in the running for Race to the Top money for education.

The state is one of 19 finalists the U.S. Department of Education has chosen for the second round of the federal grants.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan says not all finalists will make the cut.

“We have approximately $3.4 billion under Race to the Top which should be enough to fund 10 -15 states depending on whether large or small states win,” says Duncan.

If selected Georgia could get up to 400 million dollars for the 26 school districts that signed on to the education reform plan. It includes basing teacher pay on performance rather than education.

Only two states were awarded the grants in the first Race to the Top round. Georgia came in third.

Tags: Georgia, U.S. Department of Education, Race to the Top, Arnie Duncan, Secretary of Education