Kentucky Department Of Education

Kentucky Department Of Education, a state government entity headquartered in Frankfort, receives federal grants as a prime recipient to administer K–12 education programs statewide and operates predominantly under formula-grant vehicles from the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture. The vendor holds no federal prime contracts but receives one definitive contract for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) state coordinator services.

The Department of Education accounts for the overwhelming majority of KDE's federal footprint. Within that agency, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education leads with 257 awards across Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies, Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers, English Language Acquisition State Grants, Rural Education, Grants for State Assessments and Related Activities, Education for Homeless Children and Youth, Migrant Education, and Career and Technical Education Basic Grants to States. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services provided 54 awards under Special Education Grants to States (CFDA 84.027), Special Education Preschool Grants (CFDA 84.173), and Disability Innovation Fund programs. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service supplies 147 combined awards for National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and related child nutrition administration. A single $2.298 million definitive contract from the Institute of Education Sciences, awarded April 1, 2025, with a ten-year performance period through March 31, 2035, funds NAEP state coordinator services including federal student assessment administration and academic achievement data collection.

KDE's grant portfolio emphasizes pass-through funding to local educational agencies and community partners. Representative formula grants include $118.631 million for Title I Part A basic grants to LEAs (CFDA 84.010, July 1, 2026), $67.321 million for Special Education Grants to States (CFDA 84.027, July 1, 2026), $22.484 million for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (CFDA 84.424, July 1, 2026), $21.603 million for Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers (July 1, 2026), $429.378 million for National School Lunch Program reimbursements (CFDA 10.555, October 1, 2025), and $39.5 million for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (CFDA 84.367, July 1, 2022). Project grants include a $9.959 million five-year award under the Disability Innovation Fund (CFDA 84.421) through September 30, 2028 for Kentucky Transition 360, focused on postsecondary transition services for students with disabilities, and a $3 million four-year project grant under the Competitive Grants for State Assessments program (CFDA 84.368) through September 30, 2026 for competency-based assessment scaling. A $6.163 million cooperative agreement from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, awarded June 30, 2023 and running through June 29, 2028, funds school-based interventions addressing physical activity, nutrition, and chronic disease management in collaboration with Fayette County Public Schools as a priority LEA.

Activity has remained stable at 24–28 awards annually over the past five years, with 527 total awards in source data and a combined potential value of $6.5 million against $20.76 billion in obligated dollars — a ratio reflecting the large national dollar flows passing through KDE as a state pass-through entity. Twenty-one awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure. Ninety-nine percent of KDE's awards are prime grants; sub-awards represent less than 1 percent, including pass-throughs to the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs and the Education and Work Force Development Cabinet. The vendor serves 24 distinct federal agencies, though the Department of Education dominates both count and value concentration.