LOS Angeles Unified School District

Los Angeles Unified School District, doing business as The Los Angeles Trust For Children's Health, is a public local government entity and the nation's second-largest school district that operates as a federal grant recipient (41% of recent awards as prime recipient) and sub-recipient (59%) delivering K–12 education, environmental sustainability, student health and safety, and workforce development programs across the Los Angeles area. The district serves approximately 563,000 students across 1,306 schools and receives substantial federal funding through education, environmental, public health, and emergency management grant programs.

LAUSD's federal footprint is dominated by Department of Education grants and sub-awards cascaded through California state agencies. The top five funding sources account for 67% of recent awards: the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education leads with 78 awards, followed by the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (27 awards), the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (18 awards), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (13 awards), and the Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education (11 awards). The district has worked with 29 distinct federal agencies across a combined obligation of $4.6 billion. LAUSD appears as both prime recipient on direct federal awards and as sub-recipient on pass-through funding routed through the State of California — most sub-awards flow from the California Department of Education, the California Office of Emergency Services, or the California Department of Social Services.

Prime grant work centers on education and environmental programs. LAUSD received direct grants including a $106,527 Indian Education Formula Grant (CFDA 84.060) from the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education for July 2026–June 2027 to support American Indian and Alaska Native students; a $20,374,355 Project Grant under the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program (CFDA 66.049) from EPA Region 9 for January 2025–December 2027 to replace non-zero-emission school buses with electric alternatives, including workforce development for mechanics and charging infrastructure installation; a $19,750,000 Project Grant under the Clean School Bus Program (CFDA 66.045) from EPA Region 9 for April 2024–March 2027 to purchase zero-emission buses and install AC Level 2 and DC fast charging infrastructure; and a cooperative agreement from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (August 2024–July 2029) for the "What Works in Schools" health education and school-based surveillance program targeting adolescent health outcomes across 202,827 middle and high school students. LAUSD also received a school safety grant from the Community Oriented Policing Program (October 2023–September 2026) for deployable mobile security camera systems and a mental health career pathway demonstration project from the Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (April 2023–December 2026).

Sub-awards route primarily through California state pass-through mechanisms. LAUSD receives child nutrition funding (breakfast and lunch services under CFDA 84.101 and related programs), special education and related services funding under CFDA 84.027, English learner support (CFDA 84.365), Title I school improvement and high-poverty school funding (CFDA 84.010), 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CFDA 84.287), adult education and literacy services (CFDA 84.002), career and technical education (CFDA 84.048), homeless children and youth education (CFDA 84.196), child care and development block grant funding (CFDA 93.575), and COVID-19 emergency relief funding from the Department of Education California. LAUSD also receives disaster relief and debris-removal sub-awards from the California Office of Emergency Services and child-care reimbursement funding from the California Department of Social Services.

Award activity has grown substantially: four awards in 2022 to forty awards in 2026 (partial year). The district's corporate structure includes seven named subsidiaries operating as educational institutions: Endeavor College Preparatory Charter School, Los Angeles Trade Technical College (a minority-serving Hispanic-serving institution), City Charter School, Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy No. 4, New Village Charter School, and Watts Learning Center Charter Middle School (Black American-owned non-profit). Only three awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, reducing near-term recompete exposure. LAUSD's federal footprint reflects its role as a K–12 education provider receiving formula grants and pass-through allocations rather than as a service contractor bidding on competitive procurements.