Education & Early Development Alaska DEP

Education & Early Development Alaska DEP Administrative Services Division, a division of Alaska's state education agency operating from Juneau, serves as the federal grant recipient for the State of Alaska, primarily administering formula grants from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture that flow through to local educational agencies, school districts, and community organizations across Alaska. The division operates as a pass-through grant recipient (99% prime recipient awards) across 30 distinct federal agencies, with no federal contract prime work and no set-aside designations—reflecting its statutory role as Alaska's designated state education agency.

The recipient's federal award footprint centers on K-12 education, special education, child nutrition, and early learning program administration. Recent representative work includes a $2.586 million sole-source definitive contract from the Institute of Education Sciences awarded April 1, 2025 for Alaska's coordination of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) through March 31, 2035; a $220,146 project grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded November 1, 2026 to support archival digitization and curriculum development around Alaska's constitutional development and statehood (CFDA 45.149); and a $10 million five-year Disability Innovation Fund project grant from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (awarded October 1, 2023, completing September 30, 2028) supporting improved outcomes for individuals with disabilities through education, vocational rehabilitation, and independent living services. The division also administers recurring formula grants under Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies ($21.713 million, July 1, 2026), the Special Education Grants to States program ($15.478 million, July 1, 2026), the Migrant Education State Grant Program ($20.869 million, July 1, 2026), and the National School Lunch Program ($64.129 million, October 1, 2025), channeling these awards to sub-recipients statewide.

Customer concentration tracks heavily to federal education and nutrition agencies. The Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education leads by far with 274 awards, followed by the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (160 awards under child nutrition programs and an additional 85 awards for food distribution and emergency assistance), and the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (69 awards). These five top customers account for 81% of total awards. The Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, while placing only 6 awards, anchors the highest combined potential value at $6.6 million. The division's award portfolio is dominated by formula grants—annual allocations tied to state population, poverty levels, school enrollment, and statutory pass-through formulas—rather than competitive awards or contracts.

Activity across the past five calendar years shows relative stability: 38 awards in 2022, declining modestly to 15 awards in 2026 (through October). Twenty-three awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing recompete exposure for those recurring formula grant vehicles. The division operates with no named subcontract relationships; its role is to receive federal formula allocations and distribute them to local educational agencies, school districts, child care providers, tribal organizations, food banks, and community-based service providers serving rural and Alaska Native communities across the state. Unobligated balances frequently carry forward under statutory carryover provisions. Corporate structure places the division as a child entity within the State of Alaska (parent: Alaska Office of the Governor).