Andes Central School District

Andes Central School District, a South Dakota local government entity and public K-12 school district headquartered in Lake Andes, acts as a prime recipient of federal education grants administered by the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Secondary Education, supplemented by sub-recipient funding flowing through the South Dakota Department of Education. The district does not hold federal contracts; all federal activity is grant-based, with 76% of recent awards captured as prime grants and 24% as sub-grants from state education agencies.

The district's federal footprint is entirely education-focused. It holds prime recipient status on Impact Aid Program grants (CFDA 84.041) under both Title VII Section 7002 and Section 7003, which replace local revenue lost to federal tax exemptions on federally acquired property and compensate for the tax impact of federally connected children, including those on Indian lands. Representative prime awards include $3.01 million under Impact Aid Title VII Section 7003 (awarded October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2031), $201,103 under Impact Aid Title VII Section 7002 (awarded October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2031), and recurring Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies. These grants fund comprehensive K-12 educational services including general instruction, special education, English language learners, school nutrition, career and technical education, teacher training, and technology integration for students in Lake Andes whose presence or family status reduces the district's property tax revenue base. The district also receives sub-recipient funding through the South Dakota Department of Education for Title I Basic, Title IV, Rural and Low Income School programs, school lunch (NSLP Block Grant), and Title IIA REAP (Rural Education Achievement Program) initiatives, with recent sub-grants awarded as recently as August 2026.

The Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education dominates the district's funding portfolio, accounting for all 68 prime and sub-recipient awards in recent years. Secondary federal partners include the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (10 awards, primarily school lunch and nutrition programs), the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Education (5 awards), and the Department of Education proper (2 awards), collectively representing 100% of award activity. The district serves as a direct-aid recipient to tribal governments under federal education law, a classification reflected in 4 awards coded to Social Direct Aid to Tribal Governments (P.L. 93-638). Combined dollars obligated across all 85 awards in the source data total $51 million. Activity was concentrated in 2023 (13 awards) and has since moderated — 2024 saw 6 awards, 2025 saw 9, and 2026 has recorded 2 awards to date. Only one award faces ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating minimal near-term recompete exposure.