Resource Training & Solutions

What Resource Training & Solutions does

Resource Training & Solutions (RTS) is a nonprofit service cooperative founded in 1976 and headquartered in Sartell, Minnesota, operating as part of the Minnesota Service Cooperatives network. The organization serves 60 member public and private K-12 school districts, plus cities, counties, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations across central Minnesota. Its core service portfolio spans four pillars: educational programs (COMPASS Regional Network in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education, Data Solutions, ParaEducator Training & Testing, Mentoring & Induction, Graduate-Level Credit via College of St. Scholastica, Special Education Pathways Grant with eight university partners, Career Connected Learning, and Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports), cooperative purchasing (volume pricing through Express Purchasing Connection at cpcexpress.org across building, classroom, office, and technology categories), insurance and health & safety services, and government services for cities and counties including strategic communications and guardianship/conservatorship support.

RTS runs 16 educator networks connecting 220 educators across 52 districts, plus student programs (Future City, Knowledge Bowl, Math Masters, Poetry Out Loud, Spark STEM Conference, Spelling Bee, Young Authors/Young Artists) and recognition events. The organization operates a 50+ class summer catalog, 41 substitute teacher training programs, and a Regional School Crisis Response Team with 50+ team members across 9 counties.

The business model is membership-based and multi-revenue-stream: annual membership dues from districts, cities, and counties; individual network subscription fees ranging from $35 (Academic Intervention Network, Full Member) to $433 (CCN/DAC Network, Associate Member); cooperative purchasing margins; state grant funding (MDE Mentoring & Induction Grant July 2024-June 2027); and professional services revenue. Distribution is primarily direct sales via membership renewals and event-based engagement, with self-service online subscriptions (ParaEducator at $90/year) and an e-commerce purchasing portal as supplementary channels.

Name

Resource Training & Solutions

Legal name

Resource Training & Solutions

Website

https://resourcecoop-mn.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Resource Training & Solutions is a nonprofit Central Minnesota service cooperative serving 60 K-12 school districts, cities, counties, and government agencies with professional development, educator networks, cooperative purchasing, insurance, and health & safety services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Cooperative Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Educational professional development
• Cooperative purchasing services
• Educator networking programs
• School district support services
• Special education pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

Sartell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from school districts, cities, counties, and government agencies. Membership provides access to all cooperative programs, professional development, networking, and purchasing benefits.
2. Professional Development and Training: Revenue from educator training programs including ParaEducator subscriptions ($90/year), network membership fees, and workshop registrations. Includes 50 summer classes/workshops and 41 substitute teacher training programs.
3. Cooperative Purchasing: Volume purchasing program offering discounted rates on products and services by combining purchasing power of all members. Works with vendors to secure competitive pricing.
4. Graduate-Level Credit Programs: Partnership with College of St. Scholastica enabling educators to earn post-baccalaureate, graduate-level semester credits for salary advancement and recertification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Resource Training & Solutions is a nonprofit service cooperative that delivers professional development, educator networking, cooperative purchasing, insurance, health and safety, and government support services to 60 member school districts, cities, counties, and governmental agencies in central Minnesota. The organization operates 16 educator networks, a regional crisis response team, and partnerships with the Minnesota Department of Education and multiple universities.

Product overview

Resource Training & Solutions is a nonprofit service cooperative serving central Minnesota that operates as a multi-service platform offering educational programs, cooperative purchasing, insurance, health & safety, and government services. The core educational offerings include the COMPASS Regional Network (evidence-based support through MDE partnership), Data Solutions (customized reporting and coaching), ParaEducator Training & Testing (online certification), Mentoring & Induction programs, Graduate-Level Credit courses (partnered with College of St. Scholastica), Special Education Pathways Grant, Career Connected Learning (CTE programs with Teacher Externship and mini grants), PBIS support, and 16 Educator Networks for professional collaboration. Additional services include Student Programs (competitions like Knowledge Bowl and Math Masters), Recognition Events, Strategic Communications, Cooperative Purchasing via the Express platform, Insurance, Health & Safety, Cities & Counties services, and Guardianship & Conservatorship. The portfolio functions as a unified cooperative offering where membership provides access to bundled professional development, networking, and operational support services for school districts, cities, counties, and governmental agencies across central Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COMPASS Regional Network: Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success - free evidence-based support and professional development in literacy, math, school climate, and culturally responsive leadership
• Rising Ed Pathways
• ParaEducator Training & Testing

Products and services

• COMPASS Regional Network Regional network delivering free evidence-based support, professional development, and continuous improvement in literacy, math, school climate, and culturally responsive leadership through partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), including MnMTSS implementation.
• Data Solutions Customized training, coaching, and ready-to-use data reports (achievement, attendance, demographics) that support districts in interpreting data and connecting it to classroom practice for confident decision-making.
• ParaEducator Training & Testing Online training modules, practice assessments, and proctored testing opportunities to become a certified Paraeducator, offered in partnership with The Master Teacher, meeting Federal Title I requirements.
• Mentoring & Induction Comprehensive onboarding programs, resources, and implementation support for early-career and new-to-position educators, developed in collaboration with MDE, New Teacher Center, and Student Centered Learning Collaborative.
• Graduate-Level Credit Post-baccalaureate graduate-level semester credits for educators, earned through Resource workshops in partnership with the College of St. Scholastica, transferable toward a master's degree and applicable for salary advancement and recertification.
• Special Education Pathways Grant Grant program providing tuition and programmatic support up to $550 per credit for paraprofessionals and educators to become licensed special education teachers, partnered with eight Minnesota universities.
• Regional School Crisis Response Team Immediate deployment of trained crisis response professionals (school psychologists, social workers, counselors) to assist schools experiencing traumatic events, providing counseling, debriefings, and recovery support.
• Career Connected Learning Programs integrating career exploration and workforce experiences into students' coursework, including Teacher Externship Program, CTE Mini Grants, CTE Impact Grants, and Career Pathway District Alignment, connecting central Minnesota businesses with regional school districts.
• Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Framework enhancing academic and social behavior outcomes by teaching behavioral expectations similarly to academic subjects, with Resource hosting the northern regional implementation project.
• Cooperative Purchasing Volume purchasing program through combined member buying power offering discounted products and services from State Bid and Preferred Vendor contracted vendors, satisfying Minnesota competitive bidding requirements.
• Student Programs Student competitions and conferences including Future City, Knowledge Bowl, Math Masters, Poetry Out Loud, Spark STEM Conference, Spelling Bee, and Young Authors/Young Artists.
• Recognition Events Events honoring outstanding educators, support staff, and students including Educational Support Staff Event, Leadership in Educational Excellence, and Students of Excellence.
• Educator Networks (16 Networks) Professional learning communities connecting educators across central Minnesota including Academic Intervention Network, Alternative Educators Network, CCN/DAC Network, Digital Learning & AI Specialists Network, Early Childhood Network, Elementary Principals Network, Gifted & Talented Network, Instructional Coaches Network, Mental Health Network, PBIS Network, Secondary Math Network, Secondary Principals Network, Special Education Network, Technology Coordinators, and The Career Connected Leaders (CTE) Network.
• Strategic Communications Services helping schools and districts build community trust and tell impactful stories.
• Health & Safety Tools and services making cities, counties, and schools safer, including Cardiac Emergency Response Plans.
• Insurance Health care cost reduction and wellness services for members, creating a more active, happy, productive workforce.
• Cities & Counties Services Services maximizing resources for cities, counties, and other government agencies served by the cooperative.
• Guardianship & Conservatorship Legal support services for guardianship and conservatorship matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 788 educators trained in Science of Reading
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MDE to deliver COMPASS (Collaborative Minnesota Partnerships to Advance Student Success), offering free evidence-based support and professional development in literacy, math, school climate, and culturally responsive leadership. MDE provides funding and works with regional project groups for PBIS implementation.
• College of St. ScholasticacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling educators to earn post-baccalaureate, graded, graduate-level semester credits designed for salary advancement and recertification. Up to six credits transferable into masters degree.
• The Master TeachercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to provide ParaEducator Online Training & Assessment platform with access to training modules, practice assessments, and assessments meeting Federal Title I requirements.
• New Teacher CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on effective new teacher onboarding and mentoring initiatives as part of MDE Mentoring & Induction Grant program.
• Student Centered Learning CollaborativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on effective new teacher onboarding and mentoring programs.
• Bemidji State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner for Special Education Pathways Grant program offering online Special Education graduate degree and graduate certificate options (ASD, EBD, LD).
• Bethel UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner for Special Education Pathways Grant offering online Special Education MA with concentrations in ABS, ASD, DD, EBD.
• Minnesota State University MankatosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner offering Special Education graduate degrees (online and in person) with certificates in ABS, ASD, DCD, EBD, ECSE, SLD.
• St. Cloud State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner offering ECSE and Special Education graduate degrees (on-campus/online) with graduate certificates in ASD, ABS, DD, ECSE, EBD, LD.
• St. Mary's UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner offering Graduate and Bachelor degree options in Special Education with concentrations in EBD, ASD, LD.
• University of St. ThomassecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner offering Special Education graduate degree (on campus, hybrid, hyflex) with online concentrations (ABS, ASD, DD, ECSE, EBD, LD).

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Learning Forward: National professional membership association focused on educator professional development. Comparable to RTS's PD mission and educator-network focus, but operates at a national advocacy and standards level rather than regional service delivery.

Regional players

• National Cooperative Purchasing Partners (NCPP): Cooperative purchasing organization that aggregates buying power for government and education members, similar to RTS's cooperative purchasing service line. Operates across multiple US regions with comparable vendor-contracting model.
• PAEC (Panhandle Area Educational Consortium): Florida regional education consortium providing cooperative services, professional development, and student programs to member school districts. Functionally analogous to RTS as a regional education service cooperative in a different state.

Direct peers

• Sourcewell: Minnesota service cooperative providing cooperative purchasing, contract, and procurement services to government, education, and nonprofit members statewide. Closely comparable to RTS in cooperative model and member base, though Sourcewell operates at a larger, statewide scale and focuses heavily on purchasing.
• TIES (Technology & Information Educational Services): Minnesota education technology cooperative serving school districts with technology leadership, data, and instructional support. Highly comparable as a MN-focused service cooperative targeting K-12 districts, with similar membership and professional-development orientation.
• Education Service Center Region 11: Texas Education Service Center providing professional development, cooperative purchasing, and student services to member school districts in north Texas. A regional education service agency equivalent to RTS's role in Minnesota.
• Erie 1 BOCES: New York Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), a regional education service agency delivering cooperative purchasing, professional development, special education, and student programs. Functionally analogous to RTS as a regional education service cooperative, though NY-based.
• Metro Educational Cooperative Service Unit (Metro ECSU): Minnesota service cooperative serving the Twin Cities metro region with special education, professional development, and cooperative services. Peer in the same state-cooperative network serving a different (urban) region.
• Northwest Regional Service Cooperative: One of the other Minnesota service cooperatives, serving northwest MN districts with professional development, cooperative purchasing, and student programs. A peer in the same state-cooperative network delivering the same categories of services to a different regional footprint.
• Lakes Country Service Cooperative: Minnesota regional service cooperative providing cooperative purchasing, professional development, and support services to member districts. Directly comparable in structure, mission, and service portfolio to RTS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ResourceStCloud
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrG6xhjARj460eXUeiFAtzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ResourceTrainingSolutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/resourcetrainingsolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Resource Training & Solutions