SACRAMENTO — About 700 California school districts, representing about 80 percent of the state’s students, have signed on in support of the state’s application for the Obama administration’s Race to the Top plan and accompanying dollars, according to Janelle L. Kubinec, associate vice president of School Services of California.

While the number of applicants for the money is clearer with the passage of last Friday’s deadline, the amount that California schools will be vying for is not, Kubinec told hundreds of district officials gathered at the Sacramento Convention Center Tuesday during the School Services of California Governor’s Budget Workshop.

At a maximum, California could get $700 million. The minimum could be less than half of that, she said.

In Sonoma County, districts were split on whether to sign up for the Obama administration’s education overhaul plan.

Santa Rosa and West Sonoma County opted not to pursue it, while Petaluma, Windsor and Bellevue are moving forward.

Those who opted out argued there were too many unknowns wrapped up in the accompanying state legislation and that the money might be too insignificant to make permanent changes for one-time money. There was also concern that once districts showed interest in participating in the application, there is no way to back out.

Only some of that is correct, Kubinec said Tuesday.

Those districts that come to find out the money from the feds won’t cover the changes they make for the plan can drop out, she said.

But that might be moot in many ways, as state law will require change among schools and districts regardless of whether they are in the Race to the Top application or not.

“The changes to the law apply regardless if you as a district decide to participate,” she said.

Kubinec said districts should examine whether their current policy falls in line with the Obama administration’s goals.

“If it’s in line with what you are doing, that’s a great thing,” she said. “If it takes you in another direction, that is something to think about.”

“Your final answer should be based on is this really penciling out with what we must do.”