County Of Big Horn Big Horn Co School District 17H & 1

County of Big Horn Big Horn Co School District 17H & 1, a U.S. local government entity and public school district based in Hardin, Montana, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering K-12 educational services to a Native American student population in Big Horn County. The district does not hold federal contracts or serve as a contractor; it receives formula grants and project grants directly from the U.S. Department of Education and sub-awards from the Montana Office of Public Instruction, and functions exclusively as a grant recipient rather than a prime or subcontractor.

The district's federal funding footprint centers on two Education Department programs. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for 97% of recent awards across the portfolio (70 awards total). The district receives recurring formula grants under the Indian Education Grants to Local Educational Agencies program (CFDA 84.060), which fund culturally responsive instruction, teacher professional development, and academic support for Native American students; recent awards include $307,019 for July 2026–June 2027 and $326,477 for the prior fiscal year. The district also receives multi-year Impact Aid Program grants under Title VII, Section 7003 (CFDA 84.041), which compensate for lost local tax revenue resulting from the tax-exempt status of federal and Indian trust lands in the district's jurisdiction; two project grants awarded October 1, 2025, carry a combined $5.982 million in obligated amounts over the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2031. Secondary funding flows through sub-awards from the Montana Office of Public Instruction, which pass through federal grants including Title I Part A (CFDA 84.010), IDEA Part B (CFDA 84.027), Title II (CFDA 84.367), Title IV (CFDA 84.424), ESSER III (CFDA 84.425U), school nutrition programs (CFDA 10.555), and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (CFDA 10.582). Recent sub-awards include awards for school nutrition, ESSER III pandemic relief, Title I basic grants, and IDEA special education services, all passed through the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

The district's total federal award footprint includes 94 awards (67 prime recipient, 27 sub-recipient) with a combined potential value of $270 million and $148 million in obligated dollars across the full history. Award activity has remained steady over the past five years, averaging six to nine awards per year, with the most recent grant award in July 2026. Only one award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating minimal recompete exposure in the near term. The district also receives a small amount of funding from the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (12 awards) and the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (3 awards), with one award from the Department of the Interior National Park Service Intermountain Region. The district's role in the federal education system is that of a direct recipient of formula and project grants supporting Native American student achievement and compensating for federally owned property within its tax base.