Hershey Public School District 37

Hershey Public School District 37 Hershey Public Schools #37 Division is a U.S. local government school district operating as a federal grant recipient, with federal education funding routed through sub-awards from the Nebraska Department of Education and direct awards from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Program (COPS). The district is a public entity, not a federal contractor, and holds no federal contracts; all federal engagement occurs through grants and sub-grants, with 56% of recent awards received as sub-awards and 44% as prime grant awards.

The district serves Hershey, Nebraska, a rural community of approximately 605 people in Lincoln County. Hershey Public Schools operates a 550-student enrollment (PreK–12) serving a 350-square-mile district. The district's federal grant footprint centers entirely on K–12 education and school safety. Prime grants include recurring formula awards from OESE under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (SRSA), with awards in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, each running annual cycles from July to September. The district also holds a project grant from COPS, awarded October 1, 2023, with completion set for September 30, 2026, to fund the Hershey Violence Prevention (HVP) Project. HVP addresses school safety and security by acquiring campus-wide intercom systems, direct-dispatch phone systems, access-control key fobs, video surveillance, and panic-alert and fire-notification systems; the project integrates technology procurement with multi-tiered student support services, including contracts with McConnell Psychological Solutions for behavioral and mental health support and staff training in violence-prevention and de-escalation strategies.

Sub-award activity concentrates almost entirely within one funding stream: the Nebraska Department of Education, which serves as prime grantee for Title I Part A grants to Local Education Agencies (LEAs), IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding (including Part B base, non-public provisions, and comprehensive early intervention services), state block grants, and other federal pass-through funds. The district has received 27 sub-awards from the Nebraska Department of Education since 2023, with monthly and bi-annual distributions spanning 2023 through 2026, indicating routine federal funding flows for special education, title I basic grants, and state-block allocations.

Customer concentration is narrow by design: the Department of Education (OESE) and the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service account for 45 of 48 total awards, with OESE representing 25 awards and USDA FNS representing 20 awards. The FNS awards likely represent the National School Lunch Program and related child nutrition formula allocations, which flow to all public school districts. The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services accounts for 2 awards, and COPS accounts for 1 award. Over the past five years, award volume has grown from 1 award in 2022 to 12 in 2025, with 5 awards in 2026 to date; combined obligations total $1.7 million. Only 1 award faces ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating stable ongoing federal funding relationships with minimal recompete risk.