The Pittsburgh school board tonight voted 8-0 to accept a $40 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The money will help the district launch a five-year $85 million-plus campaign to change the way the district recruits, trains, compensates and recognizes teachers.

Pittsburgh's plan is one of four nationwide to receive major funding from the Gates Foundation. The foundation will discuss the grants in a conference call tomorrow.

"This is an historic moment for the Pittsburgh Public Schools," board President Theresa Colaizzi said of the grant, described as the largest ever given directly to the district.

Board member Mark Brentley Sr. abstained from the vote, saying he was pleased to receive the grant but unhappy that his concerns about other initatives, such as a 2006 round of schools closings, have not been addressed.

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