Rural and low-income schools

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the South Dakota Department of Education $358,733 under the Rural Education program (CFDA 84.358) on July 1, 2026.

The Rural Education program provides financial assistance to rural districts to improve the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. South Dakota Department of Education, operating as a state educational agency and pass-through grantee, distributes Rural Education formula allocations to eligible local educational agencies across South Dakota on a formula or competitive basis. The program targets rural local educational agencies meeting enrollment or population density thresholds, and rural districts where at least 20 percent of school children ages 5–17 come from families with incomes below the poverty line.

The award obligates $358,733 for the period July 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Pierre, South Dakota. This is a formula grant, one of 120 days in processing time under the program. The recipient maintains records for three years following activity completion. Grants under Rural Education are awarded for one year; non-Federal entities expending $1,000,000 or more in Federal awards annually are subject to single or program-specific audit under 2 CFR 200, Subpart F.