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Guess who’s about to turn 40?

Your local Educational Service District!

By David Goehner, ESD 105 Public Information Officer

As the new school year resumes this fall, Washington’s Educational Service Districts will kick off a year-long celebration of their 40th anniversary.  All nine ESDs in our state are combining their efforts to mark the accomplishments generated from four decades of assisting our state’s schools.  

Washington’s ESDs originated with the Intermediate School District Act of 1969, which replaced the state’s 39 county offices with a statewide system of 14 intermediate school districts that began operations on July 1, 1969.  The number of regional agencies was reduced from 14 to 12 in 1972, and then in 1977 from 12 to the present nine.  In 1975, the name of these organizations was changed from “Intermediate School Districts” to “Educational Service Districts.”

The 40th year celebration will serve as a public awareness campaign emphasizing the vital role of each ESD in expanding the capacity of local schools in achieving student success.  The anniversary activities will help business leaders, public officials, school employees, and district patrons learn more about their ESD’s involvement in promoting effective teaching and learning, creating safe and healthy learning environments, and developing cost-efficient services to help school districts achieve their goals.

While connecting with the achievements of the past 40 years, messages during the anniversary celebration will primarily focus on the work ESDs are currently doing to guide even stronger success in the future for our students and schools. 

Statewide activities will include a special anniversary reception scheduled for Feb. 24, 2009, at the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia.  The planning team comprised of representatives from each ESD has also introduced a 40th anniversary logo that will appear on local agency materials.  An anniversary web site is being developed as is a brochure covering history of ESDS and their system of service delivery.
 
Additionally, each ESD will be hosting local celebration events, and will be support the anniversary regionally through such resources as their newsletters and other key publications, Web sites, correspondence materials, and outdoor banners. 

This promises to be an exciting year of looking back at the journey of the first 40 years, and of looking forward to the great things that your ESDs will help accomplish for schools on the path ahead! 

To see a copy of the actual three-page bill from 1969 (left) signed by Dan Evans that created Intermediate School Districts, click on 1969 Certificattion of Enrolled Enactment.

For a history of the ESD see Educational Service Districts: Where Did We Come From?

For a PDF version, please see Timeline.