Van Buren County Community School District

Van Buren County Community School District, a U.S. local government entity and school district based in Keosauqua, Iowa, receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient (38% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient under pass-through awards from the Iowa Department of Education (62% of recent awards). The district does not hold federal contracts and does not compete on federal contracting vehicles; all federal funding flows through grant programs administered by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The district's customer base is concentrated in education and substance abuse prevention. The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services jointly account for five sub-grant awards flowing through Iowa's state education agency, covering Title I Grants to Local Education Agencies, Title II Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, and Part B Special Education grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded three grants to the district as a prime recipient.

Recent prime grant work centers on substance abuse prevention and youth leadership development. On September 30, 2026, SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention awarded the district $250,000 under the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.492) to implement the Van Buren County & Lee County Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success Program. The award, running through September 29, 2031, funds capacity building in three existing prevention coalitions (VBC Safe Coalition, Strive Fort Madison Coalition, and Best You Coalition), development of a new prevention coalition serving central Lee County, and establishment of a tri-state prevention coalition network across Lee and Van Buren counties (approximately 39,768 residents). Deliverables include needs assessment data collection, youth leader engagement and development, mandatory seller and server training for businesses failing alcohol compliance checks, law enforcement compliance check support, and prevention education delivery in at least two local school districts. Performance metrics by September 29, 2029, require at least two joint training sessions annually, a 15 percent increase in community awareness of underage drinking and youth nicotine and cannabis use risks through annual media campaigns, a 10 percent increase in stores passing alcohol compliance checks in Lee County, and establishment of the new central Lee County coalition with documented monthly meetings.

The district's sub-grant portfolio consists of education funding passed through Iowa's Department of Education since 2024, totaling awards for special education, Title I accountability and school improvement, and teacher training and recruitment. Combined dollars obligated across all eight awards total $6 million, with a trajectory of one award in 2020, one in 2021, two in 2024, three in 2025, and one in 2026.