Responsibilities of ESDs

Educational Service Districts (ESDs) are public entities that were created by the state of Washington in 1969 to provide cooperative services to local school districts. The expressed purpose of ESDs, as defined in statute (RCW 28A.310), is to assure equal educational opportunities for all:

• Provide services to school districts to ensure equity in educational opportunities

• Assist the Legislature, State Board of Education, and OSPI in the performance of their duties

• Provide cooperative and informational services to local school districts

In 1995, the Legislative Budget Committee conducted a review commending the value of ESDs. The report concluded, "a major benefit of ESDs is that they provide access to services that would otherwise not be available to school districts."

ESDs are one of four pillars in Washington’s K-12 education system, which also includes local school districts, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Educational Service District 105 is one of nine ESDs in the state in the state.

ESDs are largely self-supporting organizations. They blend the benevolence of the public sector with the spirit and ingenuity of the private sector.

ESDs are not like school districts or government agencies which receive the majority of their funding directly from the state. Rather, ESDs are public entities that operate in a highly entrepreneurial fashion. In fact, the majority of ESD funding is derived from grants, cooperatives and other self-directed initiatives.

Direct legislative appropriations account for only 3 percent of total ESD revenue. The remaining 97 percent is generated through other means, including federal and foundation grants, fees for services and cooperatives. Direct state funding, or core funding as it’s known, has steadily decreased - in both actual dollars and as percentage of total revenue - throughout the last decade. In 1989-90, core funding exceeded $5 million and accounted for nearly 9 percent of total ESD general fund revenue. Since then, core funding has declined 23 percent in actual dollars, while non-core revenues have increased more than 137 percent.

Additional resources

• ESD 105 Accountability Report

• ESD 105 Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals

• ESD 105 40th Anniversary Annual Report (May 2009)