Meadowlark School

Meadowlark School, doing business as Chinook Public Schools, is a U.S. local government school district based in Chinook, Montana that operates as a grant recipient for federal education and nutrition programs administered by the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture. The district does not hold federal contracts; it receives federal grants directly from and through state pass-through grantees.

Meadowlark School is structured as a U.S. government entity and a school district with no SBA certifications or set-aside posture — it participates in formula grant programs reserved for eligible public schools rather than competitive procurement vehicles. The district's federal footprint spans forty-five awards accumulated since 2007, with combined dollars obligated of $2.6 million. Activity has remained flat to modest over the past five years (two to four awards per year from 2022 through 2026), reflecting the recurring, formula-driven nature of education and nutrition grants rather than competitive reproc­urement cycles.

The district's customer concentration is narrow and fixed. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for thirty-nine awards (87% of the portfolio), anchored by five consecutive annual awards under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (CFDA not specified in source; awards dated July 1 of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, with ultimate completion dates running through September 30, 2027). The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service accounts for six awards covering school nutrition programs (CFDA 10.555) and related sub-awards flowing through the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

Meadowlark School acts as a prime grant recipient for Small, Rural School Achievement Program funds (71% of total awards) and as a sub-recipient of federal education and nutrition grants passed through the Montana Office of Public Instruction (29% of awards). Sub-award streams include Title I-A (CFDA 84.010, 84.010A), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER I, II, and III; CFDA 84.425, 84.425U), and School Nutrition programs (CFDA 10.555). Only one award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating minimal recompete exposure in that window. The district does not function as a contractor, supply vendor, or service provider to the federal government; it is an eligible recipient institution under federal education and child nutrition entitlements.