Educational service district

An educational service district or education service district (ESD) is a type of collective government district in the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Organizationally different than a school district, a single ESD may serve dozens of school districts. ESDs are established to allow school districts to work, plan, and buy equipment collectively.

Washington ESDs

There are nine statutory regional service agencies in Washington. Created by the legislature more than 30 years ago, the expressed purpose of an ESD is to assure equal educational opportunities for quality education and lifelong learning for all. In addition to acting as a liaison between local districts and the State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to deliver programs mandated by the state, Washington's ESDs are public entities, which operate in a highly entrepreneurial fashion.

In Washington the many ESD entities have cooperated to create the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, also called WSIPC.

Oregon ESDs

Oregon's education service districts work to provide the various counties' school districts with a wide array of educational programs and services, many of which are too costly or limited in demand for a single location. By coordinating a program or service among multiple districts, Oregon ESDs are able to moderate costs.

cope of service

An ESDS scope includes but is not limited to: curriculum, instructional support and assessment, business operations, transportation, youth employment, printing, public relations, data processing, payroll, fingerprinting, network support, statewide computer networks, traffic safety education, construction management, preschool programs, homeless transportation, para-educator training, and special education.

ee also

*List of school districts in Washington
*List of school districts in Oregon

References