Armstrong Ellis Grade SD 61

Armstrong Ellis Grade SD 61, doing business as Armstrong-Ellis Elementary School, is a U.S. local government entity and public school district based in Armstrong, Illinois, that receives federal education grants as a prime recipient from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The district does not hold federal contracts and operates exclusively as a grant recipient, not a contractor or subcontractor on procurement vehicles.

Armstrong-Ellis is a rural Illinois school district that has received formula grants under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program consistently since at least 2007. The district holds five prime grants under this program awarded annually on July 1, with ultimate completion dates of September 30 each year, covering fiscal years 2022 through 2026. The district also receives sub-grant funding through the Illinois State Board of Education, which acts as the prime grantee; a sub-award dated October 4, 2023, specified use of funds for instructional staff, materials, and equipment to address needs of students at risk of failure, along with staff professional development and parent involvement activities. A second sub-award from January 31, 2022, under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III Fund (part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) provided flexibility for any authorized activity.

The district's total federal award footprint across twenty-one awards spans $587 thousand in combined obligations, reflecting the modest scale typical of small rural school districts. Activity is sparse and regular — one award per year in 2024, 2025, and 2026 — with 90% of awards held as a prime recipient and 10% as a sub-recipient of Illinois State Board of Education pass-through grants. The Department of Education represents 100% of the district's federal customer concentration. One award completes in the next twenty-four months. The district's federal funding profile is characteristic of rural school districts: recurring, predictable formula grant allocations rather than competitive procurement or project-based awards, with no teaming relationships, parent contracts, or vehicle positions typical of federal contractor operations.