Culbertson School District 17C

Culbertson School District 17C, doing business as Culbertson Elementary, is a U.S. local government school district located in Culbertson, Montana, that receives federal K-12 education funding as a prime recipient under three Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education grant programs. The district does not compete for federal contracts and does not operate as a subcontractor on commercial federal work; it functions exclusively as a recipient of direct federal education grants to support its school operations in a rural, federally connected area.

The district's federal grant footprint is concentrated in three Education Department programs. Impact Aid Program, Title VII, Section 7003 (CFDA 84.041) constitutes the largest share of prime awards — six project grants received between October 2022 and October 2025, with the most recent award of $117,900 running through September 30, 2031. Section 7003 provides financial assistance to school districts serving federally connected children, including those residing on Indian lands or with parents on active duty in the uniformed services; Culbertson qualifies due to significant federal land presence and a high proportion of Native American students in its K-12 enrollment. The district also receives Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Education Agencies (formula grants awarded July 2022 through July 2026) and Small, Rural School Achievement Program awards (formula grants awarded July 2022 through September 2026). These grants fund general instruction, special education, English language learning, school nutrition, career and technical education, teacher training, and technology integration. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for 89 of the district's 98 total awards across the source data period.

In its sub-recipient capacity, Culbertson School District 17C receives pass-through funding from the Montana Office of Public Instruction under five federal education and nutrition programs: Title I Part A (CFDA 84.010), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B (CFDA 84.027), Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER I, II, and III; CFDA 84.425), and School Nutrition Program (CFDA 10.555). Sub-recipient awards span from October 2021 through March 2026, with fourteen sub-awards tracked in the source data. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service accounts for six additional prime awards, all related to school nutrition programs.

Activity has remained flat to modestly growing over the past five years — six awards in 2022 and 2023, increasing to seven in 2024 and eight in 2025, with two awards captured in 2026 as of the data snapshot. Only one award faces ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating limited recompete pressure in the near term. Combined dollars obligated across all 98 awards total $8.8 million, reflecting the formula-grant and pass-through structure of federal K-12 education funding rather than competitive procurement. The district's customer concentration is complete: 89 awards from the Education Department Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, with ancillary support from the Food and Nutrition Service and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.