Federal Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded McLaughlin School District 15-2 a $3.68 million Impact Aid Program (CFDA 84.041) project grant effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2031. This award supports comprehensive kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) educational services for a school district serving a significant Native American student population in McLaughlin, South Dakota, an area where federal land presence has substantially reduced the local tax base. The funding enables the district to maintain and enhance core educational programs including general instruction, special education services, English language learning, school nutrition programs, career and technical education, professional teacher training and development, and technology infrastructure integration.

The Impact Aid Program targets local educational agencies adversely affected by federal activities, particularly those with Native American reservations or substantial federal property holdings. McLaughlin School District qualifies under Section 7003 criteria, which provides assistance to districts where at least three percent or 400 federally connected children in average daily attendance reside on federal property, including Indian lands, or have parents employed on federal property or in active military service. This project grant represents a sustained commitment to ensuring educational equity and service delivery capacity in a rural South Dakota community where federal land acquisition has constrained traditional revenue sources.