Four Rivers Special Education District

What Four Rivers Special Education District does

Four Rivers Special Education District is a public special education cooperative district organized under Illinois school law, founded in 1967 and headquartered at 936 W. Michigan Ave., Jacksonville, Illinois. The district serves children from birth through age 21 with disabilities across nine program areas: an Emotional Disabilities Program, a LIFE transition program, Deaf/Hard of Hearing services, Vision services, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology services, an Early Childhood intervention program, and a Clinic. Ivan K. Garrison School operates as the district's center-based facility, while itinerant staff deliver services directly inside member school districts throughout the Four Rivers region of Illinois.

The underlying technology is described as standard educational technology platforms used by a special education district, with a website (www.frsed.org), iOS and Android mobile applications, a monthly Gator News newsletter, and social/community feeds as the primary digital infrastructure. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems, APIs, or data assets disclosed; service delivery is staff-intensive, relying on credentialed therapists, teachers, and administrators including Director Tracey Fair, Assistant Principal of Early Childhood Kim Dorsey, and Supervisors of Administration Erin Luttrell and Carrie Bradshaw.

The district does not operate as a commercial enterprise. As a government/state entity, it charges no tuition; funding flows from Illinois state education allocations, federal IDEA special education funds, and member district cooperative contributions on a per-pupil and service-rendered basis. Go-to-market is enrollment-based — students are referred through local member districts rather than acquired through sales channels — and the only explicit commercial-adjacent activity noted is a minor community health partnership with the Dental Safari Program providing on-site preventive dental care at Garrison School.

Name

Four Rivers Special Education District

Legal name

Four Rivers Special Education District

Website

https://frsed.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Four Rivers Special Education District is a public Illinois cooperative, founded 1967, that delivers special education and therapeutic services — including OT, PT, Psychology, D/HH, Vision, Early Childhood, Emotional Disabilities, and LIFE transition programs — to children from birth through age 21 across member school districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

IEP/504 Planning, Case Management & Compliance (EDAJAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC), Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Cooperative school district
• Related services therapy
• Special needs programs
• Special education cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Four Rivers Special Education District operates as a public school district cooperative funded through state and federal special education funding, member district contributions, and local tax revenues. Revenue is derived from per-pupil funding, categorical state/federal special education grants, and cooperative member district payments for services rendered.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Four Rivers Special Education District is a public cooperative that provides specialized educational programs and related therapeutic services to students with disabilities (birth through age 21) enrolled through member school districts. Core offerings include the Emotional Disabilities Program and LIFE transition program at Ivan K. Garrison School, plus itinerant Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Vision Services, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and Early Childhood intervention delivered in member districts.

Product overview

Four Rivers Special Education District is a cooperative special education district offering a unified portfolio of educational programs and therapeutic services for students with disabilities. The district operates Ivan K. Garrison School as its primary facility, providing specialized programs including Emotional Disabilities Program, LIFE (transition) Program, and Early Childhood services. Supporting these core educational offerings are related services including Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Vision Services, Deaf/Hard of Hearing services, and a Clinic. The district serves member school districts in the Four Rivers region of Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garrison School - Emotional Disabilities Program Full-time educational program for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities located at Ivan K. Garrison School. It is designed for students referred by member districts who require a center-based setting to meet IEP goals.
• LIFE Program Transition program focused on preparing students with disabilities for independent living, employment, and post-secondary education, operated at Ivan K. Garrison School.
• Early Childhood Program Early intervention special education services for young children with developmental delays or disabilities.
• Deaf / Hard of Hearing Program Specialized educational services and support for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Vision Services Specialized services for students with visual impairments, including orientation and mobility training.
• Occupational Therapy Services Therapeutic services helping students develop fine motor skills, sensory processing, and daily living abilities.
• Physical Therapy Services Therapeutic services helping students improve mobility, strength, balance, and gross motor skills.
• Psychology Services Psychological assessment, counseling, and behavioral support services for students.
• Clinic Health clinic services providing medical support and care for students with special needs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dental Safari ProgramminorOthers · 29 January 2026The Dental Safari Program provides dental services to students at Garrison School. The program visits the school to offer preventive dental care to enrolled students, addressing health needs that may be underserved for students with disabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Bond County Special Education Cooperative: Illinois county-level special education cooperative providing shared therapists and specialized instruction to member districts; directly comparable as a peer cooperative in the same regulatory framework.
• Black Hawk Area Special Education District: Illinois special education cooperative serving multiple member districts with itinerant and center-based services; structurally and functionally analogous to Four Rivers as a regional cooperative under Illinois school law.
• Grundy County Special Education Cooperative: Illinois special education cooperative delivering itinerant OT/PT/psychology services to member districts; operates a similar service mix and member-district contracting model.
• Woodford County Special Education Association: Illinois special education cooperative focused on serving students with disabilities across member districts in central Illinois; comparable in scale, mission, and service categories.
• Sangamon County Special Education Cooperative: Regional Illinois cooperative providing specialized instructional and therapeutic services to member districts in central Illinois; comparable footprint, funding base, and service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Regional Office of Education (Illinois): State-level regional offices coordinate special education oversight, professional development, and support across Illinois districts; comparable as a broader institutional provider of special education services in the same regulatory ecosystem.
• New York State Education Department - Special Education: State education agency administering special education funding, IEP compliance, and program oversight; comparable as a public-sector incumbent governing and funding K-12 special education services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/four-rivers-special-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Four Rivers Special Education District