Opportunity Overview
The Iowa Programs for At-Risk Early Elementary Students Grant — 2026-27 is administered by the Iowa Department of Education for eligible Iowa public elementary schools serving kindergarten through third-grade students who are at risk of educational failure. Funding is directed to schools with a high percentage of low-income families in grades K-3, and only elementary schools notified by the Department are eligible to participate.
Funding and Deadline
Award amounts are school-specific allocations published by the Iowa Department of Education in its official 2026-27 awards workbook. The Department does not publish a universal per-school maximum on the current program page. The 2026-27 At-Risk Grant application must be completed in CASA by September 30, 2026. The current official page and September 2026 implementation guide do not publish a closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one.
The current program guide does not state a separate applicant match or cost-share requirement. Project budgets are subject to Department approval and the availability of funding.
Eligibility and Grant Cycle
Eligible applicants are Iowa public elementary schools that have been specifically notified by the Iowa Department of Education. Awards support K-3 students at risk of educational failure and operate on a three-year cycle, with annual renewal contingent on legislative appropriation and compliance with program requirements. Funds must supplement, not supplant, other funding that would otherwise support the same activities.
Application and Allowable Costs
Applications are managed through CASA in EdPortal under the K-3 At-Risk Grant folders. The application includes a project description, statements of assurance, and a program budget. Supporting uploads are optional rather than universally required.
Allowable expenditures must directly support the approved project and have a direct impact on student learning. The guide permits appropriately supported direct-service salaries and benefits, instructional materials and supplies, parent and student activities, and qualifying equipment of $500 or more per unit when it directly supports the project and the children and staff served by the grant school. Funds may not be used for facility construction, remodeling or renovation, building upgrades or maintenance, staff-only computer hardware or software, technology infrastructure or setup fees, office furniture, indirect costs, overhead, or other costs not directly related to approved project activities and outcomes.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 76/100. This is a verified current Iowa K-3 education opportunity with meaningful school-level program support, but eligibility is restricted to Department-notified schools rather than a general applicant pool. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit Score: 0/100. The grant is designed around direct K-3 at-risk student outcomes, and Atlas should not force clinical technology, telehealth, or healthcare-vendor components into the project.
Next Action
Before any ORIGINAL outreach, identify the specific school buildings listed in the Department’s official 2026-27 awards workbook and verify the corresponding district or school Contact, Email_Opt_Out status, hard-bounce history, and authoritative original-send deduplication. Do not conduct broad cold outreach to Iowa schools that have not been confirmed as Department-notified participants.