Clay County School District 501

Clay County School District 501, a U.S. local government school district based in Fairfield, Nebraska, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering kindergarten through twelfth-grade educational services, with 94% of recent federal activity routed through sub-awards from the Nebraska Department of Education rather than direct prime grants.

The district is a public school entity without SBA certifications or set-aside designations. Its federal footprint centers on education and nutrition support. The district holds one prime federal grant: a $257,887 Impact Aid Program award (CFDA 84.041, Title VII, Section 7002) from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, running from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2031. This award compensates the district for reduced local tax base resulting from federal property acquisition within its jurisdiction and funds comprehensive educational services including general academic instruction, special education, English language learner programs, school nutrition, career and technical education, teacher professional development, and technology integration.

The sixteen sub-awards flowing through the district—all originating from the Nebraska Department of Education as prime grantee—span food and nutrition services (14 sub-awards) and supplemental education programs (2 sub-awards). The Food and Nutrition Service accounts for 14 of 17 total awards, representing the dominant funding stream; these awards carry descriptors of "BLOCK" funding, consistent with federal nutrition program pass-through allocations. One sub-award explicitly references Title I Part A Basic Grants to Local Educational Agencies, and another references a state grant with corrected project numbering.

Activity has accelerated recently: two awards in 2024, eleven in 2025, and four through May 2026, with combined dollars obligated of $757 thousand across all awards. The district's federal customer base consists of three agencies—the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (14 awards), the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (2 awards), and the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (1 award)—with the agriculture agency dominating the award count and dollar flow through nutrition program pass-throughs. As a school district recipient rather than a contractor, Clay County does not hold seats on federal procurement vehicles (GWACs, IDIQs, BPAs, or schedules) and does not function as a subcontractor to federal prime contractors.