Educational service district (Washington)

An Educational Service District, or ESD, is a regional education unit in the U.S. state of Washington. Organizationally different from a school district, a single ESD in Washington serves dozens of school districts. ESDs are established to allow school districts to work, plan, and buy equipment collectively. In Washington, they also provide other intermediary services between the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and local school districts.

Legislative role

There are nine statutory regional service agencies in Washington.^[1] Created by the legislature in 1969, the expressed purpose of an ESD is to ensure equal educational opportunities for quality education and lifelong learning for all.^[2] 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 1967, ten school districts united to share software, hardware, and centralized technology support costs. The result of this collaboration created the WSIPC Cooperative WSIPC–a unique nonprofit public agency. It is now under the umbrella of ESDs.  

Scope of service

ESDs were first created as a system of county school offices overseeing the establishment and operation of local school districts for the state. Eventually, that system developed into large media distribution centers, also serving as financial advisers for schools. Now, ESDs are both regional service providers and brokers among schools, businesses, and governments for various school administrative functions and children's education, health, and social services.^[3] An ESD's 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.

List of ESDs

Washington state has nine ESDs that oversee 295 school districts.

ESD 101 (Northeast ESD) in Spokane
ESD 105 in Yakima
ESD 112 in Vancouver
ESD 113 (Capital Region ESD) in Tumwater
ESD 114 (Olympic ESD) in Bremerton
ESD 121 (Puget Sound ESD) in Renton
ESD 123 in Pasco
ESD 171 (North Central ESD) in Wenatchee
ESD 189 (Northwest ESD) in Anacortes

References

^ "Education Service Districts". Office of Superintendent of Office Instruction. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
^ "Celebrating 40 Years of Service". Association Educational Service Districts. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
^ Edie Harding & Thomas Sykes (January 10, 1994). "Washington's Educational Service Districts: Design for Evaluation" (PDF). p. 5. Archived from the original (pdf) on December 24, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

External links

[1] "Education Service Districts". Office of Superintendent of Office Instruction. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

[2] "Celebrating 40 Years of Service". Association Educational Service Districts. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

[Evaluation-3] Edie Harding & Thomas Sykes (January 10, 1994). "Washington's Educational Service Districts: Design for Evaluation" (PDF). p. 5. Archived from the original (pdf) on December 24, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

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