Educational Service Unit 9

What Educational Service Unit 9 does

Educational Service Unit 9 (ESU 9) is a public educational service unit established in 1966 under Nebraska state law, headquartered at 5807 Osborne Drive West, Hastings, Nebraska. It serves as a regional administrative and service-delivery entity for 15 K-12 school districts spanning five and one-third counties in south-central Nebraska (Adams, Clay, Hamilton, southern Hall, Nuckolls, and Webster), collectively serving approximately 9,642 students and 802 teachers. The organization's mission is to "Educate, Empower, and Support" school communities by providing excellence, inspiration, and innovation through coordinated regional services.

ESU 9 operates three primary service lines: Professional Learning (customized professional development, workshops, and the annual Teaching & Learning Collaboration conference); Special Services (special education programs for ages 0-21 including Teachers of the Deaf, educational interpreters, speech-language pathologists, early childhood intervention, vision services, school mental wellness, and 18+ transition/Pathways programs); and Technology Services (network infrastructure, cybersecurity, device repair including as an Apple Authorized Repair Center, MDM, and on-site tech support). It also coordinates regional programs including the Central West Regional Program (CWRP) for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students across seven ESU regions, the Nebraska Canvas Consortium for blended learning, and the High Ability Learner (HAL) Consortium for gifted and talented programming.

The business model is a hybrid of government appropriations and fee-based services. Core funding derives from state and federal educational allocations administered through the Nebraska Department of Education, with revenue supplemented by district service contracts, consortium membership fees ($1,000/year for HAL), cooperative purchasing through ESUCC Marketplace, and ancillary services such as the Creative Print Center ($2-$4 per linear foot). ESU 9 has 74 employees and is led by Chief Administrator Drew Harris (since July 1, 2019). The organization is governed by a local board and is not privately owned or funded by external capital; it has no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity.

Name

Educational Service Unit 9

Legal name

Educational Service Unit 9

Website

https://esu9.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Educational Service Unit 9 is a public Nebraska educational service unit that provides professional development, special education, and technology services to 15 K-12 school districts across five counties in south-central Nebraska, serving approximately 9,642 students and 802 teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

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, Others

Revenue model

1. District Service Contracts: ESU 9 provides contracted services to school districts and students throughout the ESU 9 area. Districts contract for services including special education support, technology services, and professional development.
2. HAL Consortium Membership: High Ability Learner Consortium fee of $1,000 per school year, billed at the beginning of each school year for districts to access gifted and talented student programming.
3. Email List Subscription Services: Email lists organized by content areas for educators to receive professional learning opportunities and event notifications.
4. Print Center Services: Poster printing services for area schools at $2.00-$4.00 per linear foot depending on content. Paper available in 24 inch or 42 inch width satin finish.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ESU 9 is a public regional educational service unit that provides contracted specialized services to K-12 school districts in south-central Nebraska. Its core offerings include Professional Learning (workshops, conferences, and customized training for educators), Special Services (special education, Deaf/Hard of Hearing programs, Speech-Language services, Early Childhood Education, Vision Services, Mental Wellness, and Transition services), and Technology Services (network infrastructure, cybersecurity, MDM, device repair, and on-site tech support) delivered directly to member districts through staff and consortium arrangements.

Product overview

Educational Service Unit 9 (ESU 9) is a regional educational service provider, not a software product company. It operates as a single unified educational services organization offering Professional Learning, Special Services (including D/HH services, Early Childhood, Speech-Language, Vision, Mental Wellness, and Transition programs), Technology Services (network support, cybersecurity, device repair, MDM), and regional programs for Deaf/Hard of Hearing students. These services are delivered directly to member school districts through staff and contracted services rather than a software platform or product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nebraska Regional Programs for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NRPDHH): A statewide program that works cooperatively to maximize state and local resources for the enhancement of education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (B-21) receiving early intervention (IFSP) or special education (IEP) services.
• Central Western Regional Program (CWRP)
• Professional Learning Department

Products and services

• Professional Learning Services Customized professional learning experiences designed to strengthen and support continuous growth for educators, including school improvement, instruction, curriculum, technology, and student engagement services for member school districts.
• Special Services Contracted services provided to school districts for children ages 0-21 eligible for special education, including 18+ Program, Deaf or Hard of Hearing Services, Early Childhood Education, School Mental Wellness, Speech and Language, Vision Services, and Transition support.
• Technology Services Technology support, repair, and consulting services for member schools including network infrastructure, cybersecurity, device repair, Mobile Device Management (MDM), on-site tech support, and technology coordinator resources.
• Creative Print Center Poster printing services for area schools with costs ranging from $2.00 to $4.00 per linear foot; paper available in 24 inch or 42 inch width satin finish.
• Lending Library Checkout system for educational resources including books, media, robotics and programming kits, and A-V production equipment for member schools.
• Nebraska Regional Programs for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NRPDHH) Statewide program working cooperatively to maximize resources for enhancement of education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (B-21) receiving early intervention or special education services; includes four regional programs.
• Central West Regional Program (CWRP) Regional program providing social, cultural, instructional, and communication opportunities for students, families, and staff serving D/HH/D+/DB students across ESU 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, and 17 regions.
• Deaf or Hard of Hearing Services Services including Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TODHH), educational interpreters, sign language facilitators, and educational sign language interpreters for students ages birth to 21.
• Speech and Language Services Speech-Language Pathologists providing assessment and intervention for students with communicative disorders from birth through 21 years, working with IEP teams to support language and literacy.
• Early Childhood Education Program supporting students ages birth-3 by providing high-quality learning opportunities and experiences in an inclusive environment with developmentally appropriate scaffolding.
• Project SEARCH Business-led, one year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace, combining classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations for students with disabilities.
• 18+ Program Services (Pathways Transition Program) Supports students with disabilities ages 18-22 transitioning from high school into adult life through Employment Pathway or Life Skills and Community Pathway programs.
• Transition Services (14-21) Helps students with disabilities bridge the gap between school experiences and adult life, assisting them to function productively and independently within an integrated adult environment.
• HAL Consortium (High Ability Learner) High Ability Learner Consortium serving gifted and talented students through professional learning and youth events including Quiz Bowl, Chess Tournaments, and Invention Convention; annual district membership fee of $1,000.
• Grow Your Own Education and Training Program Career pathway program preparing high school students for education careers; collaboration between ESU 6 and ESU 9 with Educators Rising chapters and up to 9 college credit hours available from Wayne State College.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 15 school districts across 5+ counties with 9,642 students and 802 teachers

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESU 6coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESU 9 and ESU 6 jointly operate the 'Grow Your Own Education and Training Program of Study,' a career pathway initiative for future educators. This collaboration addresses teacher shortage by providing high school students with education career preparation through a 3-course curriculum aligned with Nebraska CTE standards. The program includes Educators Rising chapters with over 60 students participating.
• Nebraska Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Grow Your Own Education and Training Program, providing alignment with Nebraska Career and Technical Education Standards. Also provides oversight for Title programs, Perkins V, and other federal education initiatives administered through ESU 9.
• Wayne State CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in the Grow Your Own program allowing high school students to earn up to 9 college credit hours in education upon completing the program of study.
• Network NebraskacoreTechnology or IntegrationESU 9 partners with Network Nebraska for Internet and WAN connectivity, including bidding, working with vendors, and troubleshooting connectivity. ESU 9 serves as an Internet Service Provider partner, having provided Internet access for schools for three decades.
• ESUCC (Educational Service Unit Coordinating Consortium)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESUs of Nebraska join together for cooperative purchasing through the ESUCC Marketplace, offering technology hardware and software purchase agreements. Also supports the Nebraska Canvas Consortium and NVIS distance learning clearinghouse.
• Nebraska Canvas ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide consortium for Canvas LMS providing blended learning support, coordinated through ESU 9 for regional schools.
• Central Western Nebraska Partnership (CWNP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students across ESU 9, ESU 10, ESU 11, ESU 13, ESU 15, ESU 16, and ESU 17 regions. Coordinates with ESU 13 for CWNP programming.
• Greater Metro Regional Program (GMRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Nebraska Regional Programs for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Serves the Greater Metro region including Omaha area through ESU 3.
• Northeast Regional Program (NERP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Nebraska Regional Programs for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, serving the Northeast region of Nebraska through ESU 7.
• Southeast Regional Program (SERP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Nebraska Regional Programs for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, serving the Southeast region of Nebraska through Lincoln Public Schools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Willamette Education Service District: Oregon regional ESD serving school districts in the Willamette Valley with special education, technology infrastructure, and professional development. Operates the same intermediate-agency shared-service model as ESU 9.
• Education Service Center Region 11: Texas ESC serving school districts with shared services including special education, technology, and cooperative purchasing. Operates a comparable statutory shared-services model across a different geography.
• Education Service Center Region 4: Texas Education Service Center that delivers shared services to school districts in its region, including professional development, special education support, and technology services. Comparable regional shared-service mandate in a different state.
• Suffolk BOCES: New York BOCES providing shared services to Long Island school districts including special education, technology, and staff development. Directly comparable intermediate-service-unit model operating in a different state.
• Northwest Regional Education Service District (Oregon): Oregon regional ESD providing special education, technology, and professional development services to school districts. Comparable regional intermediate education agency model serving rural districts.

Broad incumbents

• Erie 1 BOCES: Board of Cooperative Educational Services in New York providing shared educational services to component school districts. Operates a directly comparable regional shared-service model for special education, technology, and professional development.
• ESUCC (Educational Service Unit Coordinating Consortium): The statewide consortium of all Nebraska ESUs that operates the ESUCC Marketplace cooperative purchasing program and the Nebraska Canvas Consortium. Comparable in that it aggregates ESU-level demand for technology and procurement scale.
• Nebraska Department of Education: State education agency that oversees Title programs, Perkins V, and other federal education initiatives administered through ESU 9. Comparable in its role as an educational service provider at the state level, and the direct oversight body for ESU 9.

Direct peers

• ESU 6 (Educational Service Unit 6): Nebraska ESU that co-operates the Grow Your Own Education and Training Program with ESU 9. Provides identical statutory educational services to its own set of member school districts; structurally and operationally a direct peer.
• ESU 10 (Educational Service Unit 10): Another Nebraska Educational Service Unit serving school districts in a contiguous region with the same statutory mandate of providing specialized educational services, professional development, and technology support. Directly comparable operating model and service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NRPDHH
• Facebookfacebook.com/esu9NE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Educational Service Unit 9