If awarded the federal grant, the district would get nearly $40 million for early education.
The deadline was extended when hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, which is why Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, and council members Oliver Baines and Blong Xiong, are urging the teacher's union to reconsider its position and return to the table to continue talks.
Ashley Swearengin said, "I want to make it clear that this is not just about the school district and the fta, this is about our entire community and the 26,000 kids who are in preschool to third grade who would benefit from this application."
Oliver Baines said, "We think this is a big deal. We think 10 million dollars in resources per year could really really make an impact on our education system, make an impact in the lives of our youth and the families that are trying to better themselves."
The FTA says a number of sticking points need to be ironed out in order to give their stamp of approval, including language about teacher evaluations, which is required in the grant.
Superintendent Michael Hanson says he's willing to negotiate changes.
In the video, Action News reporter Linda Mumma has complete coverage on the story.
