By MEGAN DOOLEY

Of the $250 million in federal grant money awarded to the state of Massachusetts for improving education in the much-publicized Race to the Top program, the Martha’s Vineyard public school district is expected to receive some $100,000 over a period of three years, Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss said this week.

Mr. Weiss said the allocation of money to different school districts across the state depends on a number of factors, including the size of schools, poverty levels and test scores.

“We’re not going to get big bucks,” he said.

The Race to the Top program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The incentive program is designed to help schools across the nation finance education reform.

“There’s a reform agenda . . . things like reforming and changing your teacher evaluation process, [and] moving toward merit pay,” said Mr. Weiss. “Getting the money is dependent upon us committing to at least beginning the process.”

The superintendent said Vineyard schools have already filed a preliminary application for the funding. “We had to get school committee approval, teachers union approval, and superintendent’s approval. And we were fortunate enough to get all of those for all of our districts,” said Mr. Weiss.

Now the school has some 60 to 90 days to file a formal application, indicating their plans for reform. Mr. Weiss said the state may reject that application, but would likely recommend changes or modifications to the plan, which would make Vineyard schools eligible for the monetary award.

He said most of the changes would not have great financial impacts on the district. “We don’t have to spend a lot of money to make the changes that we want to make, But we would use the money for some training. I don’t see us hiring a lot of people. It’s mostly professional development and those kinds of things,” he said.