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A Foundation for the Future
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Working Together
A Foundation for the Future

In 1969 Washington State ESDs were authorized by statute and began their work of consolidating multiple, mostly inefficient, county offices of education. Now, Forty years later, the state’s ability to provide effective, comprehensive, and economical educational programs for children has dramatically strengthened. Today 295 school districts throughout the state — large and small — benefit from the invention of regional service delivery.

The demands which ESDs were created to provide remain the focal point of their work. Functioning as advocates for their local school districts, ESDs operate through cooperation with educational partners in the pursuit of educational excellence and the creation of relationships throughout the broader educational community all while offering a high level of accountability and value.

Tailored regional services and programs are possible thanks to the leadership of administrators and board members who are elected by local school district boards, enjoy rich experience in their local community, have proven high integrity, and possess the  knowledge necessary to lead effective 21st century organizations.

Washington’s ESDs receive state core funding to provide uniform services and then each ESD is allowed the autonomy to generate additional resources for districts. This freedom to develop services which reflect local needs has resulted in great benefit to all by bringing critical services to rural schools, facilitating district cooperation in pooling money for essential resources, increasing operational efficiencies, and assisting in the implementation of quality programs that assist educational communities’ efforts to increase the number of students meeting state and local standards.

Each of Washington’s nine Educational Service Districts is similar in mission, statutory duties, and some of the services they provide. However, each provides unique services to suit the specific needs of the local districts they serve.

See Foundation for the Future to view the ESD Anniversary Brochure.

Meeting Standards, Exceeding Expectation

Demands for standards-based reform often exceed the capacity of local districts and most departments of education are stretched beyond capacity. By contrast, ESDs offer both technical expertise and geographic proximity to schools that enhance educational quality. ESDs provide necessary services, specialized programs, and pooled resources that can be delivered more effectively and economically at the regional level.


With student needs and public expectations rising, the ESDs are well positioned to lead the state’s school improvement efforts. Like no other educational agency, ESDs have the existing regional presence; credibility with local districts; highly qualified staff in curriculum, instruction and assessment; and a history of cost-effective delivery necessary to satisfy the state’s ever evolving educational needs.

ESDs serve as a bridge between K-12 and early learning systems and promote a continuum of education for all children. The ESDs are uniquely qualified and dedicated to help Washington state define, support, and implement an ideal early learning system that reflects and supports our state vision for early care and education. Today, ESDs provide services essential to Birth-to-six and K-12 systems in our state.

In response to school request and/or state and federal initiatives, ESDs have the ability to develop new service quickly and then bring them to scale regionally or statewide as needed. ESDs provide services unique to their regions or develop and operate specialty programs across several ESDs or statewide.

A Sound Educational Investment in the Children of Tomorrow

Washington State’s nine ESDs were created by legislature (RCW 28A.310) to: Equalize educational opportunities; Provide cooperative and informational services to meet the needs of their regions; and Support the work of the State Board of Education and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

For every $1.00 of state core funding invested in ESDs, the state receives $53.00 in educational programs and services. The the entrepreneurial efforts of ESDs — which are largely self-supporting organizations — $3.5 million in state core funding is leveraged into $188.4 million in service to students and schools.