Reap - rlis special qualified agencies (SQAS)

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded $157,622 to the Lower Kuskokwim School District on July 1, 2026, under the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP), CFDA 84.358, a formula grant designed to provide financial assistance to rural districts to carry out activities that improve the quality of teaching and learning in their schools.

The Lower Kuskokwim School District, a local educational agency located in Bethel, Alaska, serves 22 villages and six schools in a region with a predominantly Native American and Alaska Native population. The district operates within REAP's Rural and Low-Income Schools (RLIS) track, which targets state educational agencies that distribute funds to eligible LEAs on a formula or competitive basis. REAP eligibility for RLIS requires that at least 20 percent of school children ages 5–17 in the LEA come from families with incomes below the poverty line and that all schools served by the LEA carry NCES school locale codes 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43.

The award period runs from July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. The district has historically used REAP and other Department of Education grants to support teacher professional development, culturally informed instruction, student support services, family engagement, substance abuse prevention, and college preparation programs, with a particular emphasis on culturally relevant, bilingual education that preserves cultural heritage.