Lakes Country Service Cooperative

What Lakes Country Service Cooperative does

Lakes Country Service Cooperative (LCSC) is a public, nonprofit, membership-based educational service agency created in 1976 by the Minnesota legislature under Minnesota Statutes 123A.21, headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It serves schools, cities, counties, townships, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations across its original nine-county region in west central Minnesota, reaching over 130 member organizations and hundreds more through partnerships with other service cooperatives and state agencies.

LCSC operates as a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product platform. Core offerings include COMPASS (a statewide educational systems-improvement initiative covering READ Act literacy, math, MnMTSS, climate and culture, and equity), Cooperative Purchasing Connection (group purchasing with AEPA contracts), Health & Safety consulting, Technology Solutions (IT hardware/software, Google Apps, SMARTboard, LMS support), Insurance & Wellness (self-insured health pool since 1985 via the Minnesota Healthcare Consortium), Career & Technical Education including Minnesota's first state-approved alternative teacher preparation program (since 2018, expanded to initial licensure in 2024), Special Education Programs (Region IV Low Incidence, audiology, Lakes Country Academy for ASD/EBD students since 2017), and Student Academic Programs (Knowledge Bowl, Spelling Bee, Young Writers). Underlying technology includes the PD4Me online professional development platform, the Cooperative Purchasing 'Express' marketplace, and digital curriculum tools, with significant reliance on third-party platforms (EmpowerU, OnToCollege, MSUM) for delivery.

LCSC's business model blends four revenue streams: membership subscriptions (many services free with membership), fee-for-service arrangements (payroll, IT, health/safety, special education consulting), grant funding (federal Low Incidence, R-CSPD, Special Education Pipeline Grant), and cooperative purchasing transaction volume. Pricing is modest per-unit (e.g., $100-$150 per graduate credit, $110 per spelling bee participant, annual PD4Me subscription scaled to student enrollment). Go-to-market is community-led and channel-partner-driven: regional networking meetings, advisory committees, and partner relationships with other Minnesota service cooperatives drive service development and member acquisition. LCSC also operates Minnesota CTE (mncte.org) as a statewide leadership function for CTE teachers.

Name

Lakes Country Service Cooperative

Legal name

Lakes Country Service Cooperative

Website

https://lcsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lakes Country Service Cooperative is a nonprofit Minnesota service agency created by state statute in 1976, providing cooperative purchasing, professional development, special education, technology, and insurance pool services to 130+ member schools, cities, counties, and nonprofits across west central Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Services Cooperative

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Educational service cooperative
• Cooperative purchasing programs
• Special education services
• Teacher preparation programs
• School health insurance pools

Headquarters

HQ city

Fergus Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Membership is available to government, educational, and nonprofit organizations. Many growth opportunities are free with membership. Services are provided with membership include regional networking meetings, regional newsletters, cooperatively bid contract pricing, online supply ordering, employee health insurance pools (for governmental members only), assistance with nonprofit resources, use of meeting rooms, and member discounts on professional development workshops.
2. Fee-for-Service: Several services are funded through a fee-for-service arrangement including payroll and business services, technology consulting and services, health and safety consulting and services, educational consulting and services, and special education consulting and services.
3. Grant Programs: Some services are funded through many grant programs. LCSC participates in Region IV Low Incidence projects funded by two federal grants: Low Incidence and Regional Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (R-CSPD).
4. Cooperative Purchasing: Cooperative Purchasing Connection offers worry-free ordering through Express, its online marketplace. LCSC participates in AEPA (Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies) for combined volume purchasing contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Lakes Country Service Cooperative is a public nonprofit membership-based educational service agency that delivers cooperative services to schools, cities, counties, nonprofits, and state agencies across west central Minnesota. It sells cooperative purchasing programs, professional development, technology solutions, health & safety consulting, self-insured health insurance pools, career and technical education pathways, special education programs, and early childhood screenings. Revenue comes from membership fees, fee-for-service arrangements, subscription platforms, cooperative purchasing transactions, and grants.

Product overview

Lakes Country Service Cooperative is a public, nonprofit, membership-based educational service agency created under Minnesota Statutes 123A.21, providing comprehensive services to education, government, and nonprofit organizations across west central Minnesota. The organization operates as a service cooperative with a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product platform. Core offerings include: COMPASS (educational systems improvement covering literacy, math, MTSS, and equity initiatives), Cooperative Purchasing Connection (group purchasing with volume discounts), Health & Safety Services (onsite consulting), Technology Solutions (IT hardware/software), Insurance & Wellness Programs (self-insured health pool since 1985), Career & Technical Education (CTE pathways and teacher preparation), Education Services (special education, student programs, professional development via PD4Me), and Early Childhood Screening. The COMPASS framework serves as the primary educational improvement initiative, while administrative services like cooperative purchasing, insurance pooling, and business partnerships provide cost-saving mechanisms for members. Technology Integration and Information Technology services support members' digital infrastructure needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COMPASS A statewide educational systems improvement initiative that guides and supports the examination and improvement of educational systems through equitable outcomes, prioritizing access to strong tier-1 instruction for all Minnesota students. Includes support for READ Act literacy, Math, MnMTSS, Data & Assessment Literacy, Climate and Culture, Continuous Improvement, Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership, Multilingual Learners, and Early Childhood/ECSE. Delivered to school districts through virtual and on-site coaching.
• Cooperative Purchasing Connection (CPC) A cooperative purchasing program that helps members fulfill purchasing needs efficiently through formal bids and negotiated contracts, providing volume discounts on products and services through vendor partnerships including AEPA contracts. Accessible via the Express online marketplace and free with membership.
• Health & Safety Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 130 member organizations served across 9-county region
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EmpowerUcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with EmpowerU, a Minnesota-based organization committed to increasing student resilience, persistence and success through social-emotional learning. EmpowerU provides online resilience-building lessons with 1:1 personalized support from masters-level online coaches via texting platform. LCSC offers special discount pricing to member schools. Over 93% of students who complete EmpowerU's 12-week program make significant progress in motivation, confidence and wellbeing.
• FiduciuscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Fiducius (formerly ISLoan Solutions), a student loan advisory company helping improve student loan situations and achieve financial well-being. Provides education on loan forgiveness and refinancing options. Available to any employee with $5,000 or more in student loan debt, including employees' spouses, children and grandchildren.
• ICS (Innovative Construction Services)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with ICS offering members innovative facility solutions for planning, building, and operating facilities. Services integrate planning, funding, construction, and ongoing operations. LCSC members receive a discount on ICS services. Specializes in rural community projects serving education, wellness, mental health/behavioral disability, and public service facilities.
• OnToCollegecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with OnToCollege providing ACT Prep courses and College Counseling tools to member schools. Works with 425+ partner schools to track statewide and school trends. Test Prep routinely achieves 1-3 point ACT/PreACT score increases and 50-150 point SAT/PSAT increases. LCSC members receive 10% discount from annual OTC retail price.
• ORB Management Corporation and ORB Real EstatecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with ORB providing Owner Representative and Development Consulting services for strategic real estate and facility plans. ORB offers collaborative, disciplined, and transparent project leadership. Specializes in rural community projects related to wellness, mental health/behavioral disability education, public service, and healthcare. Serves public and private nonprofit organizations.
• Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MSUM to deliver 18 Online program providing 18 graduate credits needed for high school teachers to become qualified concurrent enrollment instructors. LCSC covers graduate tuition for Spring 2025; subsequent semesters at $100 per credit. Program results from Minnesota House Bill H.F. 3326 and Senate Bill S.F. No. 3062.
• Minnesota State University MoorheadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pathways to Licensure program offering continuing education coursework and graduate credit (SPED 599) applicable toward master's degree in special education. Courses offered at reduced rate ($150 per credit vs $555.06 standard) and approved for reimbursement via Special Education Pipeline Grant. Partnership includes Moorhead Area Public Schools, Fargo, and West Fargo.
• AEPA (Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLCSC is a participating member of AEPA, a group of Educational Service Agencies organized through Memorandum of Understanding for securing combined volume purchasing contracts. AEPA membership allows access to contracts satisfying Minnesota competitive bidding requirements (Minnesota Statutes 123A.2 and 471.345) regardless of purchase amount.
• Minnesota Healthcare ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under the Minnesota Healthcare Consortium umbrella for self-insured health insurance products for school, city, county and other government agency members and their families. The health insurance pool spreads risk and reduces cost while giving members freedom to choose any doctor, clinic, or hospital.
• Region IV Low Incidence ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegion IV Low Incidence Project facilitates use of diverse and scarce resources to meet needs of students with challenging needs. Funded by two federal grants: Low Incidence and Regional Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (R-CSPD). Provides service to nine special education cooperatives/districts.
• Midwest Special InstrumentsminorOthersMidwest Special Instruments provides annual calibration services for audiometers, tympanometers, and otoacoustic emissions (OAE) screening equipment. LCSC serves as host site for calibration services.
• STAR Autism ProgramminorOthersSTAR Autism Program teaches children with autism critical skills identified by the 2001 National Research Council using ABA instructional methods. LCSC offers STAR certification training workshops.
• UkeruminorOthersUkeru is a crisis intervention program offering alternative to restraints and seclusion. Built on trauma-informed care and conflict resolution. LCSC offers Ukeru certification training to help schools reduce restraint, seclusion, and injury.
• Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLakes Country and MREA have vetted and approved EmpowerU as a proven SEL solution, offering special discount pricing to member schools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Resource Training & Solutions: Minnesota service cooperative delivering professional development, special education, and cooperative purchasing services to member districts. Direct functional peer under the same legislative framework serving a different Minnesota region.
• Southeast Service Cooperative: Minnesota service cooperative serving the southeast region with a comparable portfolio of education, technology, cooperative purchasing, and professional development services. Direct functional peer under the same statutory authorization.
• Sourcewell: Minnesota-based cooperative providing cooperative purchasing and contract services to government, education, and nonprofit entities. Closest direct functional peer to LCSC in terms of membership-driven model, AEPA participation, and aggregated government procurement focus.
• AEPA (Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies): Multi-state cooperative purchasing organization through which LCSC accesses vendor contracts. Provides the cooperative purchasing infrastructure and contract portfolio that LCSC leverages for its members — comparable at the purchasing-function level.
• Northwest Service Cooperative: Another Minnesota service cooperative serving the northwest region under the same Minnesota Statutes 123A framework, offering similar education, technology, and cooperative purchasing services. Direct functional equivalent operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• PowerSchool: Major K-12 education technology platform offering SIS, LMS, and analytics. Represents the broader commercial EdTech ecosystem that competes with portions of LCSC's technology integration and PD4Me offerings for the same K-12 customer base.
• Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA): Minnesota professional association representing rural school districts and a current LCSC partner for vetting solutions like EmpowerU. Overlapping member base and complementary advocacy and member service role for the same rural district customer segment.

Regional players

• Erie 1 BOCES: Board of Cooperative Educational Services in New York, providing shared educational services to member districts. Functional equivalent of an educational service agency under different state legislation and in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LakesCountrySC
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakesCountrySC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakes-country-service-cooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/lcsc_1001

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Lakes Country Service Cooperative