About the Educational Regional Service System (ERSS)
State law and the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce developed a statewide network of service providers designed deliver services that districts and schools need. The ERSS is comprised of educational service centers (ESCs), state support teams (SSTs), information technology centers (ITCs) and public broadcasting.
Educational Service Centers (ESCs)
ESCs were signed into law and are part of the Ohio Revised Code and serve all Ohio schools. Districts and schools rely on ESCs for professional development, specialized instructional programs, behavioral and health services, technology, and fiscal and administrative services. ESCs are key State partners, implementing statewide priorities at the regional and local levels. ESCs are local political subdivisions governed by elected boards of education. ESCs function as large-scale service providers, offering administrative, academic, fiscal and operational support services to schools and districts, including chartered nonpublic, community and STEM schools across the state. Every school district with an enrollment of 16,000 or fewer students is required to affiliate with an ESC (primary service agreement, referred to as a client school district). While most school districts are required to affiliate with an ESC, all but one school district in the state has established a primary service agreement with an ESC as a client school district. While schools are aligned through a primary service agreement, any school or district may purchase services from any ESC in the state. As public entities, ESCs receive some state funding to support operations. While ESCs are government bodies, they do not have taxing authority. Rather, each ESC depends on revenues from client schools and districts, state operating subsidies and payments, contracted services to districts, and grants and state funding.
State Support Teams (SSTs)
SSTs are housed within ESCs and were developed to provide targeted academic services to low-achieving schools as part of the federally mandated statewide system of support. State Support Teams collaborate with schools, families, regional partners and the Department through a continuous improvement process to ensure each child in Ohio has access to a high-quality education. State Support Team consultants are educators with expertise in Ohio’s Improvement Process (OIP), Early Literacy, Early Learning and School Readiness, Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports and Special Education. State Support Teams provide guidance to build capacity in district personnel to support students with disabilities. Direct supports include but are not limited to Universal Design for Learning, co-planning to co-serve and the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). [Learn more]
State Support Teams | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | Region 5 | Region 6 | Region 7 | Region 8 | Region 9 | Region 10 | Region 11 | Region 12 | Region 13 | Region 14 | Region 15 | Region 16
Information Technology Centers (ITCs)
ITCs are non-profit public agencies created by Ohio legislature. Ohio’s 17 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) work collaboratively as the Ohio Education Computer Network to meet the technology needs of Ohio’s school districts. ITCs also serve Ohio government agencies, non-profit organizations and communities. ITCs provide shared information technology (IT) services to Ohio K-12 districts. They offer services including accounting, payroll, library automation, EMIS, network management, student information systems, video, remote distance learning, electronic resources, computerized grade book, parental access, web conferencing, Internet access, web and email filtering, firewall and web security, telephony, web hosting, server hosting, and data-driven decision support. [Learn more and Find an ITC]