Co-Op Ed Services Agency 3

What Co-Op Ed Services Agency 3 does

CESA 3 (Cooperative Educational Service Agency 3) is a Wisconsin non-profit cooperative educational service agency founded in 1965 and headquartered at 1300 Industrial Drive, Fennimore, Wisconsin. It serves 31 member K-12 school districts across Southwest Wisconsin, delivering strategic leadership, operational services, and direct student support through a 72-person staff. The agency functions as a regional collaboration hub, allowing small, rural districts to pool resources and access specialized programming they could not independently afford.

CESA 3's service portfolio spans three primary lines. First, professional development and credentialing, anchored by the IRC+ (Industry-Recognized Credentialing Plus) program — an annual $3,500-per-district subscription delivering CTE Incentive Grant-approved credentials, NC3 Train-the-Trainer certification (Precision Measurement, Torque), and the Keys to Beginning Reading program (CERI-approved, Wisconsin Act 20-compliant) that has trained 225+ educators across 14 districts. Second, school improvement and special education services, with 30 School Improvement programs and 16 Special Education programs, including Leadership Coaching, Systems Coaching, trauma-sensitive 1-2-3 RESET training, and itinerant special education staffing (OT, PT, speech, interpreters, D/HH teachers). Third, workforce development via a Youth Apprenticeship program that enrolled 600 students with 467 active regional employers in 2024-2025, generating an average apprentice wage of $14.24/hour.

Revenue derives primarily from member-district fees, workshop registrations, the IRC+ subscription, and pass-through state/federal education funding, including a three-year Workforce Innovation Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Pricing is event-driven and modular, with the only disclosed price point being IRC+ at $3,500/district/year. The agency holds no proprietary technology stack; services are delivered through in-person workshops at Fennimore, regional events, and direct-to-district credential kit distribution. Governance rests with an 11-member Board of Control drawn from member-district school boards, with Dr. Jamie Nutter serving as Agency Administrator. No venture capital, private equity, or external investor ownership has been disclosed.

Name

Co-Op Ed Services Agency 3

Legal name

CESA 3

Website

https://cesa3.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CESA 3 is a Wisconsin non-profit cooperative educational service agency that delivers professional development, special education staffing, and youth apprenticeship/credentialing programs to 31 member K-12 school districts across Southwest Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

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

Legal, Governance, Privacy & Audit Certifications (EDAAANAN), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Cooperative educational services
• Professional development training
• Youth apprenticeship programs
• School improvement services
• Special education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fennimore

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Services to Member Districts: CESA 3 operates as a Wisconsin cooperative educational service agency providing strategic leadership, operational services, and direct student support to 31 member school districts in Southwest Wisconsin. Revenue appears to come from district membership fees, workshop registrations, and potentially state/federal education funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CESA 3 is a cooperative educational service agency providing strategic leadership, operational services, professional development workshops, credentialing programs, youth apprenticeship coordination, and direct student support to 31 member school districts in Southwest Wisconsin. Core offerings include IRC+ industry-recognized credentialing, NC3 certification training, School Improvement Academy, special education programs, and career and life ready services.

Product overview

CESA 3 provides educational support services primarily through professional development programs and workshops rather than a unified software product. Their core offerings include IRC+ (Industry-Recognized Credentialing Plus) for career and technical education credentialing, various training programs (NC3 Certification, Keys to Beginning Reading, Substitute Teacher Training), School Improvement Academy, AI Leadership Academy, and Youth Apprenticeship coordination. These services support 31 member school districts across Southwest Wisconsin with strategic leadership, operational services, and direct student support through workshops, coaching, and credentialing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IRC+ (Industry-Recognized Credentialing Plus) A comprehensive credentialing service providing access to CTE Incentive Grant-approved credential programs, direct-to-district credential kit delivery, test administration, data tracking, and strategic employer connections for students in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, IT, and business sectors.
• NC3 Certification Training Train the Trainer certification program for Precision Measurement Instrument and Torque, offered in partnership with NC3 for IRC+ subscribers.
• School Improvement Academy Workshop helping school teams turn data into action using the WISEdash platform, uncovering root causes, examining systems and practices, and building focused school improvement plans for stronger student outcomes.
• 1-2-3 RESET A trauma-sensitive framework created by Dawn Paulson and Heather Schmidt to support students' ability to access learning opportunities, targeting strategies in Relationships, Environment, Self-Regulation, Empowerment, and Task for K-5 students.
• Substitute Teacher Training Licensure requirement training for certified substitute teachers in Wisconsin, meeting state requirements for Short-Term WI Substitute teacher License eligibility.
• AI Leadership Academy Professional development program focused on AI literacy and applications for educators, featuring national AI expert Brian Buffington.
• Keys to Beginning Reading Training CERI-approved reading training program under Wisconsin Act 20, designed to translate science of reading research into practical tools for educators.
• Youth Apprenticeship Program Work-based learning program enabling high school juniors and seniors to explore career pathways, earn wages, gain real work experience, and earn industry credentials and college credits.
• Leadership Coaching Coaching services for school and district leaders to develop positive leadership strategies, build team culture, and improve instructional practices through coaching cycles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 youth apprentices enrolled during 2024-2025 school year with 467 active employers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Upland Hills HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Host venue for Iowa County Advisory Council meeting; keynote presentation by Director of Marketing and Community Relations.
• Lafayette Hospital + ClinicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Host venue for Lafayette County Advisory Council meeting; keynote presentation by CEO.
• Iowa County School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025CESA 3 collaborates with Iowa County school districts on the County Advisory Council to strengthen regional collaboration and cultivate aligned vision for economic and workforce development.
• Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Partnership on County Advisory Council meetings including data listening sessions and review of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Plan.
• Lafayette County School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025Third annual Lafayette County Advisory Council partnership connecting education, industry, and community to advance county growth through collaborative workforce development.
• Building Automation Products, Inc. (BAPI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Manufacturing partner offering customized youth apprenticeship program with rotations through production, hand soldering, shipping/receiving, and quality control departments.
• 467 Regional EmployersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Active employers participating in youth apprenticeship program providing work-based learning opportunities for students across Southwest Wisconsin.
• Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (Southwest Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership through Workforce Innovation Grant and IRC+ credentialing programs. CESA 3 coordinates with Southwest Tech for youth apprenticeship and manufacturing pathway development.
• University of Wisconsin-PlattevillecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in three-year Workforce Innovation Grant awarded by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to strengthen manufacturing talent pipeline.
• Wisconsin Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Awarded three-year Workforce Innovation Grant to strengthen manufacturing talent pipeline through youth apprenticeship expansion.
• NC3 (National Career Readiness Certificate)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for NC3 Certification Training including Precision Measurement Instrument and Torque Training, with Train the Trainer events for IRC+ subscribers.
• Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCESA 3 delivered CERI-approved Keys to Beginning Reading training to 225+ educators across 14 districts to meet Wisconsin Act 20 requirements.
• Lancaster Community School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Callahan serves directly with Lancaster as Communication and Compliance Director while coordinating CESA 3 communications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CESA 1: CESA 1 is another Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency serving member districts in the southeastern part of the state. It offers the same category of cooperative educational support services to school districts, making it the closest structural peer to CESA 3.
• CESA 5: CESA 5 (Portage) is a Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency serving school districts in central Wisconsin. Direct peer with comparable service portfolio under the same cooperative model.
• CESA 6: CESA 6 (Oshkosh) serves member districts in east-central Wisconsin with the same cooperative educational service agency mandate. Direct peer offering overlapping services.
• CESA 2: CESA 2 (Whitewater) is a Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency providing special education, professional development, and school improvement services to member districts. It is a direct peer sharing the same cooperative ESA model.
• CESA 4: CESA 4 (West Salem) serves member school districts in west-central Wisconsin with cooperative educational services. It is a direct peer operating under the same Wisconsin CESA statutory framework.
• CESA 8: CESA 8 (Gillett) serves member districts in northeastern Wisconsin under the same Wisconsin CESA cooperative structure. Direct peer with comparable service offerings.
• CESA 7: CESA 7 (Green Bay) is a Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency operating in the same statewide cooperative framework, providing comparable services to member districts.
• CESA 10: CESA 10 (Chippewa Falls) serves western Wisconsin districts under the cooperative educational service agency framework. Direct peer operating with similar member-district service model.
• CESA 11: CESA 11 (Turtle Lake) is a Wisconsin Cooperative Educational Service Agency serving northwestern Wisconsin districts. Direct peer with comparable cooperative service delivery model.

Emerging players

• Education Service Center Region 13 (Texas): Texas Education Service Centers serve a function analogous to Wisconsin CESAs, providing cooperative professional development, special education, and school improvement services to member districts. ESC 13 is included as a regional player in a different state operating a comparable cooperative educational services model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CESA3Empowers
• Xx.com/cesa3

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Co-Op Ed Services Agency 3