Northstar / Northwood Charter Schools, Inc.

Northwood School District (doing business as Northstar / Northwood Charter Schools, Inc.), a U.S. local government entity based in Cotton, Minnesota, is a prime recipient of federal education grants from the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, supplemented by sub-recipient status under state-administered education and nutrition programs managed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Agriculture.

The district operates as a school district and functions as a federal grant recipient rather than a contractor. Northwood's primary federal engagement is through the Small, Rural School Achievement Program (SRSA), administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, under which it has held formula grants as prime recipient annually since at least 2022. Most recent SRSA grants are dated July 1, 2024, July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, each running to September 30 of the following year. The district also receives sub-recipient allocations under Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies (CFDA 84.010) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B formula grant programs (Sections 611 and 619), routed through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Additionally, Northwood participates as a sub-recipient in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), likewise flowing through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, with monthly or quarterly sub-awards spanning October 2024 through July 2026.

Customer concentration is heavily weighted to Department of Education programs. The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services account for 27 of 42 tracked awards (64%). Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction serves as the pass-through entity for the vast majority of sub-recipient allocations, with the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service backing NSLP participation (14 awards). The district's federal footprint remains modest — $1.9 million in combined dollars obligated across all awards — with activity trending upward from one award in 2022 to twelve in 2025, though slowing to eight in 2026 year-to-date. Only one award faces completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating low recompete pressure in the near term. Northwood operates 56% of its recent awards as a sub-recipient, with 44% as prime recipient, reflecting its dual posture as both a direct grantee under SRSA and a downstream recipient of state-distributed federal education formula funding.