Rural and low-income schools

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded $1,314,935 to the Pennsylvania Department of Education on July 1, 2026, under the Rural Education program (CFDA 84.358), a formula grant supporting rural districts in improving teaching and learning quality. The award runs through September 30, 2027, and is administered from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, operating through its Budget & Fiscal Management Division and Comptroller's Office, serves as the pass-through recipient responsible for distributing funds to eligible local educational agencies within the Commonwealth. Rural Education comprises two components: the Small Rural School Achievement program, which awards directly to qualifying LEAs, and the Rural Low-Income Schools program, which flows through state educational agencies to LEAs meeting poverty and rural locale criteria. Under this formula mechanism, the Commonwealth distributes the obligated amount to local school districts serving rural and low-income student populations, funding activities that strengthen instruction and academic achievement in elementary and secondary schools.