Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative

What Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative does

Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NISEC) is a public education cooperative founded in 1970 and headquartered in Crown Point, Indiana. It provides comprehensive special education services and programming to students with disabilities across seven member school districts in Northwest Indiana: Hanover, Highland, Hobart, Lake Ridge, Lake Station, River Forest, and Tri-Creek. The cooperative operates Eagle Park School, a dedicated facility serving approximately 150+ students with severe disabilities, and embeds specialized staff and services across 33 public and 13 private schools within the member districts, reaching 3,400-3,900 students with disabilities annually with a workforce of 384-392 staff members.

NISEC's operational delivery is supported by a conventional K-12 technology stack: Google Classroom serves as the primary curriculum delivery platform at Eagle Park, Infinite Campus and BlueInk power the dual-part student registration system, and curricula follow Indiana Academic Standards using established reading programs (Savvas MyView, Savvas My Perspectives, Edmark, N2Y, Edmentum, Reading Eggs). Programs are individualized and span preschool (ages 3-5) through K-12, covering emotional and behavioral concerns, developmental disabilities, deaf, blind, and multiply handicapped populations, with vocational, recreational, and community-based components.

Commercially, NISEC operates as a non-profit inter-local cooperative and does not sell services on a fee-for-service basis. Revenue is sourced through recurring contributions from its seven member school districts, supplemented by state special education funding (governed by Indiana Article 7) and federal IDEA pass-through allocations. The cooperative employs dedicated leadership including a Director of Special Education (Rebecca Harkema), Executive Director of Special Education (Marsha Horn), CFO (Peyton Gilmore), Director of Eagle Park School (Jill Bruhn), and compliance officers for Section 504 and Anti-Harassment. Customer relationships are governed by Master Contracts and member bylaws rather than commercial contracts, and there is no evidence of private equity, venture funding, or M&A activity.

Name

Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative

Legal name

Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative

Website

https://nisec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NISEC) is a Crown Point, Indiana-based public education cooperative founded in 1970 that delivers specialized educational services and programming to 3,400-3,900 students with disabilities across seven member school districts, operating Eagle Park School and a 384-392 staff workforce under Indiana Article 7.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Alternative / Nonpublic Schools (NPS) & Placements (EDAKAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) & AAC Services (EDAJAKAF), Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity) (EDACAIAF)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Cooperative education
• Special needs instruction
• Disability support services
• Alternative K-12 school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Crown Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Cooperative Member District Contributions: Public school cooperative funded through contributions from member school districts (Hanover, Highland, Hobart, Lake Ridge, Lake Station, River Forest, and Tri-Creek). The cooperative provides special education services that districts contract for, including staff, programs, and facilities.
2. Special Education Services Contract: NISEC operates under Master Contracts with staff and provides services governed by bylaws, policies, and Indiana Article 7 (special education rules). Revenue comes from state and federal funding pass-through as well as district contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NISEC is a regional cooperative that delivers specialized educational programs, related therapy services, and behavioral supports for students with disabilities on behalf of its member school districts. It also operates standalone alternative-school programs such as the Eagle Park Community School for K-12 students whose needs are not met in traditional district settings.

Product overview

Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NISEC) is a unified special education service provider operating Eagle Park School as its primary educational facility. The organization delivers comprehensive special education programs to students with disabilities across seven member school districts using a curriculum aligned with Indiana Academic Standards, delivered primarily through Google Classroom. Additional offerings include the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) for parental support and advocacy, along with various student support services including speech therapy, psychological services, and assistive technology support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Education Cooperative Services Core service line in which NISEC provides specialized instruction, related therapies (speech, occupational, physical), and behavioral support to students with disabilities on behalf of its seven member school districts in Northwest Indiana.
• Eagle Park Community School Standalone K-12 alternative public school operated by the cooperative that serves students with behavioral, emotional, or other disabilities requiring a non-traditional setting.
• Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Parent advisory and support program for families of students receiving special education services through NISEC, providing input, advocacy resources, and parent-to-parent support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serve 3,400-3,900 students with disabilities across 44 schools in 7 districts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and regulatory.

• Hanover Community School CorporationcoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Provides students who need special education services. NISEC supplies specialized staff and programs to this district.
• School Town of HighlandcoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Receives special education services from NISEC for students with disabilities.
• School City of HobartcoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Students receive specialized educational services through the cooperative's programs.
• Lake Ridge New Tech SchoolscoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Receives special education services and staff support from the cooperative.
• Lake Station Community SchoolscoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Students receive special education services through NISEC programming.
• River Forest Community School CorporationcoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Receives specialized services for students with disabilities from the cooperative.
• Tri-Creek School CorporationcoreOthersMember school district in the NISEC cooperative. Students receive special education services through NISEC's programs and staff.
• CSRI (Cooperative Special Recreation Initiative)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between park and recreation departments of Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Dyer, Highland, Lake County, Merrillville, Munster, Schererville, and St. John, along with Community Hospital and the Hammond Port Authority. CSRI seeks ways to increase recreational opportunities for individuals of all ages who have special needs and abilities.
• Special Olympics IndianasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic programs for individuals with disabilities. NISEC connects families to Special Olympics as part of its recreational and enrichment offerings for students.
• True FriendssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing camps, respite, programs, and travel experiences for people with disabilities. NISEC refers families to True Friends as a resource.
• INSourcesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs. Provides training workshops for parents and professionals. NISEC refers families to INSource training and resources.
• Indiana Department of EducationregulatoryOthersState education agency that sets standards and requirements for special education services. NISEC operates under Indiana Article 7 rules and provides data to IDOE.
• Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS)regulatoryOthersIndiana state division providing caregiver support services and developmental disability resources that NISEC refers families to.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NISECYouTube
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-indiana-special-ed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative