The Hall County and Gainesville City school systems participated in one of the biggest and most complicated grants in the state over the last four years, and the report on its impact found reasons for optimism. The Race to the Top Report, released in late December, was commissioned by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence to give “outside eyes” to evaluate the work of the grant, according to Merrianne Dyer, education consultant and former Gainesville City Schools superintendent. The report looks at four years of work, touts the $400 million grant’s achievements and addresses its issues.