New Salem Wendell Union School District

New Salem Wendell Union School District, doing business as New Salem / Wendell Union School, is a U.S. local government school district based in New Salem, Massachusetts that receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient for K–12 education programs and participates in federal nutrition and special education programs as a sub-recipient through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The district does not hold federal contracts and operates exclusively in the federal grant space, with 68% of its federal award footprint consisting of sub-grant awards flowing through Massachusetts state education administration.

The district's federal footprint centers on four Department of Education offices and the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for 35 awards across prime Small, Rural School Achievement Program formula grants and sub-grants for Title I Part A basic grants to local educational agencies, Supporting Effective Instruction programs, and Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has issued 15 awards supporting Child Nutrition Program block consolidation and child and adult care food service. The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has placed 12 awards for special education and related services to children with disabilities and early intervention programs for ages three through five. These four agencies account for 100% of the district's recent award activity.

The district holds five prime grants under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (CFDA line items under Office of Elementary and Secondary Education), awarded annually in July with ultimate completion dates in September of the following year. The most recent awards are July 1, 2026 (completion September 30, 2027), July 1, 2025 (completion September 30, 2026), and July 1, 2024 (completion September 30, 2025). These are formula grants flowing directly to the school district as a small rural school recipient. The sub-grant portfolio reflects pass-through funding from Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education across multiple federal programs, including Title I instructional improvement, special education service delivery, child nutrition block programs, and nutrition administration support. Awards span from 2023 through mid-2026, with the most recent sub-grants dated July 10, 2026.

Activity has grown from one award in 2022 to twenty in 2024, with fourteen in 2025 and seven in 2026, reflecting the district's integration into multi-year state formula-grant pipelines. Combined dollars obligated across all awards total $1.9 million. Only one award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating stable, recurring annual funding through established federal education grant vehicles and limited near-term recompete exposure. The district's role is entirely as a grant recipient and sub-recipient; it does not serve as a contractor, subcontractor, or vendor to federal agencies and does not compete for federal contract awards.