Barnes Unified School District 223

Barnes Unified School District 223, a local government school district in Barnes, Kansas, receives federal education and social-services funding as a prime grant recipient and sub-recipient through state pass-through agencies, with no federal contracting activity. The district operates as a U.S. government entity and receives recurring formula grants and block grants from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, channeled primarily through the Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Department for Children and Families.

The district's federal footprint centers on education and child-services programming. As a prime recipient, Barnes USD 223 holds five Small, Rural School Achievement Program formula grants from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, awarded annually on July 1 with completion dates of September 30 each year, covering the period from 2022 through 2027. As a sub-recipient, the district receives the vast majority of its federal funding through pass-through awards from Kansas state agencies. The Kansas State Department of Education channels block grants and Title I Low Income funds; the Kansas Department for Children and Families routes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds and Kansas Pre-School Pilot (KPP) service funding. A single-award sub-grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, issued in May 2024, provided reimbursement of up to 25 percent of the cost of a new school bus purchase designed to reduce diesel emissions, with service through September 30, 2024.

Customer concentration is evenly split. The top two agencies by award count—the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education—each account for 25 awards (100 percent combined coverage of the district's portfolio), while the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 collectively contribute three awards. Recent award volume has accelerated modestly, from two awards annually in 2022 and 2023 to eleven or twelve awards per year in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The district's overall obligations across all federal sources total $1.9 million. One award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting minimal recompete exposure in that window. Barnes USD 223 does not hold federal contracts, IDIQs, GWACs, or parent vehicles; the district operates exclusively within the federal grant ecosystem as an educational institution.