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.
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Legislative role
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 1967 the ESD entities in Washington state cooperated to create the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, also called WSIPC.
Scope of service
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 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
See also
- List of school districts in Washington
- Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
References
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