Dodson Public Schools

Dodson Public Schools, a rural K–12 school district headquartered in Dodson, Montana, acts as a prime recipient of federal education grants from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, with supplemental sub-recipient grants in basic education support and school nutrition programs from the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

Dodson operates exclusively in the federal grant space — the district holds no federal contracts and does not compete on procurement vehicles. The district's federal footprint consists of 47 prime grant awards (80% of its recent federal activity) and 12 sub-awards (20%), across two distinct customer agencies. The Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for all 54 of the district's prime and sub grant activity, with the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service providing the remaining five sub-awards. Combined obligated dollars across all federal awards total $11.1 million.

Dodson's prime grant portfolio centers on three recurring education-support programs: Impact Aid (CFDA 84.041, Title VII, Section 7003); Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies; and the Small, Rural School Achievement Program. The district qualifies for Impact Aid because it enrolls federally connected children — defined as students living on federal property, including Indian lands, and students with parents employed on federal property or on active duty in the uniformed services — at or above the statutory threshold. A current Impact Aid award dated October 1, 2025, carries a performance period through September 30, 2031, and a separate Indian Education Formula Grant award dated July 1, 2026, runs through June 30, 2027. These grants replace lost local property tax revenue and support general educational operations and services. In the sub-recipient role, Dodson receives pass-through funding from the Montana Office of Public Instruction under Title I Part A (CFDA 84.010), School Nutrition programs (CFDA 10.555), and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds (CFDA 84.425 and 84.425U). Award activity has remained steady at five to six awards per year over the past five years, with only one award visible in the current calendar year; one award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months.