Eastern Illinois Area Special Education

What Eastern Illinois Area Special Education does

Eastern Illinois Area Special Education (EIASE) is a public education joint agreement cooperative founded in 1962, headquartered in Charleston, Illinois, that delivers specialized instructional and therapeutic services to children and young adults with disabilities across 28 member school districts covering 8 counties (Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Moultrie, Shelby) in East-Central Illinois. Ranked 3rd of 65 Illinois special education units for total children served and serving over 4,000 students with 600+ special education personnel across 5,000+ square miles, EIASE operates self-contained day schools (3 Treatment and Learning Centers and LIFE Academy in two locations), district-embedded programs (Deaf and Hard of Hearing classrooms in Mattoon), itinerant specialists (OT, PT, audiology, behavior support, vision/orientation & mobility, adapted PE, pre-vocational), preschool (Project H.E.L.P.), and transition programming (On TRACC, ages 18-22).

EIASE is funded by a mix of member-district cost-share contributions (billed via an annual Governing-Board-approved budget), Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) formula and grant funding, federal IDEA/grants (including the SLD Support Project), and minor earned revenue from a Recycling Program that doubles as a vocational training site. Pricing for substitute teacher ($150/day; $32.57/hr long-term), substitute paraprofessionals ($16.60/hr), and employee benefits ($810/month health insurance contribution, up to $1,000/year professional development reimbursement) is publicly disclosed; member-district service pricing is not.

The technology stack is predominantly commodity-integrated: Embrace for IEP tracking, Medicaid billing, and roster management with SIS interoperability gaps against TeacherEase, Skyward, and PowerSchool; Applitrack for recruitment; Google Workspace; ISBE standard IEP forms; and the Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC) for vendor Data Privacy Agreements under SOPPA. EIASE holds SOPPA and Title IX compliance, is governed by a 28-member elected Governing Board plus 8-member Executive Board, and is led by Executive Director Tony Reeley. There is no equity ownership, no M&A activity, and no external investment; structurally, EIASE is a cooperative, not a company in the traditional investment sense.

Name

Eastern Illinois Area Special Education

Legal name

Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education

Website

https://eiase.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eastern Illinois Area Special Education (EIASE) is a public joint agreement cooperative founded in 1962 that delivers specialized education and related services to over 4,000 children and young adults with disabilities across 28 member school districts in 8 East-Central Illinois counties, operating day schools, itinerant specialists, and transition programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Special Education Evaluation & Assessment (Psychoeducational, Speech/Language, OT/PT) (EDAJAKAA), Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Special education cooperative
• Disability support programs
• Special education joint agreement
• Transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Member District Contributions: EIASE bills each member school district for its share of the cost of the programs and administration. The Governing Board holds an annual budget hearing and approves the final annual budget. Districts contribute based on a formula for shared special education services.
2. State and Federal Funding: Funding is supplied by local, state and federal monies. This includes grants such as the SLD Support Project (federally funded through ISBE), Preschool for All program (funded by Illinois State Board of Education), and various ISBE Technical Assistance Projects.
3. Recycling Program Revenue: The EIASE Recycling Program generates proceeds from recycling operations. All proceeds are utilized to create and support work experience opportunities for students at EIASE. The program also sells recycled benches and tables through Green Tree Plastics partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eastern Illinois Area Special Education is a public education joint agreement cooperative that delivers comprehensive special education programs and related services to children with disabilities ages 3 through 21. The organization provides self-contained day schools for emotional/behavioral and significant disability needs, itinerant specialist services, deaf and hard of hearing programs, preschool services, and transition programming on a contract basis to its 28 member school districts across East-Central Illinois.

Product overview

EIASE operates as a special education joint agreement providing a coordinated portfolio of programs and services to 28 member school districts across 8 counties in East-Central Illinois. The organization offers a multi-tiered service model: self-contained day schools (TLCs for emotional/behavioral needs, LIFE Academy for significant disabilities), classroom programs (Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Project HELP preschool), itinerant specialist services (OT, PT, Behavior Support, Vision, Audiology, Pre-Vocational), and transition programs (On TRACC). The portfolio also includes a student data management platform (Embrace) for IEP tracking and Medicaid billing, and a community-based Recycling Program for vocational training. Programs serve students ages 3 through 21 and are delivered through member districts, three TLC campuses, two LIFE Academy locations, and multiple preschool sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treatment and Learning Centers (TLC) Self-contained day schools for K-12 students with emotional/behavioral disabilities providing individualized academics, counseling, social work, and positive behavior support strategies; districts contract for placement through IEP team decisions.
• LIFE Academy Self-contained day school for students with significant disabilities in Mattoon focusing on independent living, employment, and functional skills. Includes Student LIFE Academy (ages 3-18) and Adult LIFE Academy (ages 18-21) for transition to adult life.
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Comprehensive program for students with hearing loss using a total communication approach that combines speech, lip-reading, fingerspelling, sign language, and residual hearing development; includes DHH itinerant teacher services across the 28 member districts.
• Itinerant Programs Mobile specialist services delivered in member district schools including Adapted PE, Audiology, Behavior Support Team, Pre-Vocational, Rehabilitation (OT/PT), Visually Impaired, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing itinerant services.
• Project H.E.L.P. (Helping Educate Little People) FREE Preschool for All program for children ages 3-5, providing high-quality preschool experiences with priority given to at-risk children; funded by Illinois State Board of Education and operated across more than 20 community sites in the 8-county service area.
• On TRACC (Transition Readiness and Career Connections) Transition program for students ages 18-22 who have graduation credits but need additional support, with three tracks: Lakeland courses, LIFT classes, and community employment through STEP; located in Mattoon's LIFT building.
• Recycling Program Work experience program for students with disabilities learning job skills through sorting and processing recyclable items, with proceeds supporting work experience opportunities; partners with Green Tree Plastics to produce recycled benches and tables.
• Early Childhood Screenings Developmental screenings for children ages 3-5 covering speech, language, cognitive abilities, motor coordination, vision, and hearing, serving as an entry point for preschool special education services.
• Embrace Student Data Management Student data management platform used for IEP tracking, roster management, and Medicaid billing, integrating with member district Student Information Systems (TeacherEase, Skyward, PowerSchool).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 children with disabilities receive specialized services from EIASE professionals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Green Tree PlasticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIASE Recycling Program partners with Green Tree Plastics in Evansville, IN to turn plastic caps and lids into recycled plastic lumber for benches and tables. Products feature 50-year guarantee and are made from 100% recycled materials.
• Illinois Department of Human Services - Division of Rehabilitation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIASE partners with DRS to provide PECT (Pre-Employment Career Training), formerly known as STEP, through the Pre-Vocational Department. The program serves students in Altamont, Arcola, Beecher City, Cowden-Herrick, Dieterich, Charleston, Effingham, Neoga, Paris, and Teutopolis districts.
• Regional Office of Education #11 (ROE #11)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROE #11 maintains substitute teacher documentation including physicals, fingerprints, background checks, and transcripts. They process substitute teacher licenses (SUB) and Short-Term Substitute licenses (STS) for EIASE employees. Contact: Braddi Browning at [email protected].
• Eastern Illinois University - Audiology DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIASE's DHH program partners with Eastern Illinois University's Speech and Hearing Clinic for full audiological testing. EIU audiology students work with EIASE's DHH itinerant teacher through the EAR (Educational and Audiological Review) Team.
• Student Data Privacy Consortium (SDPC)coreTechnology or IntegrationEIASE uses the Student Data Privacy Consortium to maintain Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) with vendors who handle student data. SDPC is a collaborative of schools, districts, agencies, and providers addressing data privacy concerns.
• InfinitecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIASE partners with Infinitec to provide member districts with quality online professional development opportunities. Access provided through myinfinitec.org to any person who works for one of EIASE's member districts.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIASE participates in ISBE Technical Assistance Projects and hosts the SLD Support Project (federally funded grant through ISBE in partnership with Eastern Illinois University) providing professional learning for educators supporting students with specific learning disabilities.
• Eastern Illinois UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Eastern Illinois University for the SLD Support Project - a federally funded grant through ISBE providing professional learning opportunities to educators and school personnel who support students with specific learning disabilities in Illinois.
• Sarah Bush Lincoln Health CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Bush Lincoln Health Center created the Community Online Resource Directory (CORD) - an online resource guide for families to search for agencies and programs by county, category, or keywords. Shared as a parent resource through EIASE's Future Planning page.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL): SEDOL is an Illinois special education joint agreement serving multiple school districts in Lake County. Like EIASE, it pools district resources to deliver specialized classrooms, related services, and itinerant support — directly comparable in structure, funding model, and mission.
• SASED (School Association for Special Education in DuPage County): SASED is a DuPage County special education cooperative that provides specialized programming and related services to member districts through dedicated classrooms and itinerant staff. Closely mirrors EIASE's joint agreement model and service breadth across disability categories.
• NSSEO (Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization): NSSEO operates as a special education cooperative serving northwest suburban Chicago districts with classrooms, therapies, and transition programs. The structure, customer base (member K-12 districts), and service mix closely align with EIASE's operations.
• Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSED): NSED is a north-suburban Illinois special education cooperative providing specialized classrooms, itinerant services, and related therapies to member districts. Operates the same joint agreement model with comparable funding formula and governance structure as EIASE.
• SAFE (Special Education Foundation for DuPage Students): SAFE delivers special education and related services to DuPage County member districts through cooperative arrangements. Shares EIASE's joint-agreement structure, K-12 district customer base, and comprehensive service delivery model.

Others

• Frontline Education: Frontline provides K-12 student data, IEP, and special education management platforms commonly used by Illinois cooperatives and joint agreements. Operates in EIASE's technology ecosystem as a category-adjacent vendor rather than a direct service-delivery peer.

Regional players

• West 40 Intermediate Service Center: West 40 is an Illinois regional service center serving districts across a different geographic region with a broader portfolio that includes some special education services. Comparable in joint-educational-services structure but addresses a different territorial footprint and wider scope than EIASE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eiase
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastern-illinois-area-special

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

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 Eastern Illinois Area Special Education