Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School

Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School, operating as Helus, is a U.S. local government school district recipient of federal education grants from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, receiving formula grants under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program as a prime recipient and sub-recipient of education-improvement funding from the California Department of Education.

Helus is a public school district headquartered in Lake Hughes, California (16633 Elizabeth Lake Road). As a government entity rather than a for-profit vendor, Helus operates exclusively in the federal grant space—it holds no federal contracts and does not sit on any IDIQs, GWACs, or BPAs. The district's federal footprint consists entirely of education grants; it does not pursue set-aside categories or compete under small-business designations.

The district's customer concentration is narrow and stable. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education accounts for 21 of 23 total awards (96% of recent activity), with the Office of English Language Acquisition representing a single additional award. Since 2022, Helus has received recurring formula grants under the Small, Rural School Achievement Program, with awards dated July 1 each year (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) and ultimate completion dates typically falling in late September of the following year. In addition to its prime grants, Helus acts as a sub-recipient on education-improvement sub-awards flowing from the California Department of Education, including funding to improve teaching and learning in high-poverty schools, support limited English proficient student achievement, and enhance educator quality. Recent sub-awards are dated through August 2026.

Award activity has remained sparse but consistent. The district received one award in 2022, one in 2023, two in 2024, two in 2025, and four in 2026 (the most recent dated August 31, 2026). Combined dollars obligated across all federal sources total $431 thousand, reflecting the modest scale typical of rural school district formula grants. One award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, triggering recompete exposure for that single award only.