Lewis & Clark School District 161

Lewis & Clark School District 161 (operating as Berthold School), a U.S. local government school district headquartered in Berthold, North Dakota, receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient for K–12 education programs and operates overwhelmingly as a sub-recipient (86% of recent awards) on state pass-through and nutrition-focused federal grants channeled through the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The district's federal footprint is concentrated in two agencies. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service accounts for 80 awards, primarily spanning the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) paid and free/reduced meal offerings, the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education supplies 24 awards, including the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (formula grants awarded directly to the district on July 1 of each fiscal year, running through September 30 of the following year), Title I education funding, Title II professional development grants (such as aligned mathematics instruction), and emergency relief funds including ESSER II and ESSER III Choice Ready Grants. Together these two agencies cover 99% of the district's award count.

As a prime recipient, Berthold School has received five consecutive Small, Rural School Achievement Program formula grants from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, with award dates in July of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, each running approximately fifteen months. As a sub-recipient, the district receives pass-through funding from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction for school nutrition operations (NSLP paid and free/reduced meals, SBP, and FFVP components awarded monthly or quarterly), Title I allocations, Title II professional development, and emergency pandemic relief. Sub-awards show monthly or quarterly distribution patterns reflecting ongoing nutrition and instructional program operations. The district has also received sub-grant awards for cyber risk reduction and school food service innovation grants under ESSER II and ESSER III programs.

Recent activity has grown steadily — three awards in 2022 rising to twenty-six in 2026 — reflecting increased federal pass-through funding and nutrition program activity. Combined dollars obligated across all awards total $972 thousand. Only one award reaches ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting minimal recompete risk. The district holds no federal contracts or seats on IDIQs, GWACs, or procurement vehicles; federal engagement is limited to grant funding for elementary and secondary education and child nutrition programs.