AERO Special Education Cooperative

What AERO Special Education Cooperative does

AERO Special Education Cooperative (legal name: A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative - District 806) is a public special education cooperative organized under Illinois educational law and headquartered at 5400 West 77th Street, Burbank, Illinois. Founded in 1963, it has operated for over 60 years as a low-incidence special education cooperative pooling resources across eleven member school districts in the Chicago southwest suburban corridor: Burbank SD 111, Summit SD 104, Willow Springs SD 108, Indian Springs SD 109, Central Stickney SD 110, Ridgeland SD 122, Evergreen Park SD 124, Argo CHSD 217, Reavis HSD 220, Oak Lawn CHSD 229, and Evergreen Park CHSD 231.

The cooperative operates the A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center as its core facility and delivers a full continuum of special education programs, including Communication Development, Connect, Early Childhood, Functional Academic Learning, Multi Needs, P.R.I.D.E., STAR (Students Teachers Achieving Results), and Transition Services. Service offerings span occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, BCBA-supervised behavior intervention, functional academics, and post-secondary transition support including job development and placement. The technology stack consists of standard educational platforms (Microsoft 365 My Apps portal, Google Workspace e-Learning via Google Sites/Drive, ParentSquare for parent communication) with no proprietary technology components.

Revenue is generated through intergovernmental cooperative funding agreements with member districts rather than commercial billing; AERO does not charge individual families for services. The organization is governed by a Governing Board comprising representatives from the eleven member districts, with no private equity, venture capital, or individual ownership. Marketing channels include the aerod806.org website, a Facebook page, ParentSquare, and walk-in hiring events for recruitment. The cooperative is actively operating, experiencing continued enrollment growth, and expanding programs and classrooms.

Name

AERO Special Education Cooperative

Legal name

A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative - District 806

Website

https://aerosped.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AERO Special Education Cooperative (District 806) is a public Illinois cooperative founded in 1963 that pools resources across 11 member school districts in the Chicago metro area to deliver therapeutic special education programs and transition services for students with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC), Specialized Inclusive / Co-Taught Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAK)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Special education cooperative
• Therapeutic education programs
• Transition services
• Early childhood intervention

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

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. Member District Cooperative Funding: As a public special education cooperative established in 1963, AERO is funded through cooperative agreements with 11 member school districts. Districts pool resources to provide a full continuum of special education services to students with disabilities, rather than each district independently funding such programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative (District 806) is a public intergovernmental cooperative that delivers a full continuum of special education programming and related services — therapeutic, academic, behavioral, and transition — to students with disabilities referred by its 11 member school districts in the Chicago metropolitan area. Service delivery is anchored at the A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center in Burbank, Illinois, and is funded through cooperative agreements rather than commercial fees.

Product overview

A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative (District 806) is a low incidence special education cooperative providing a comprehensive portfolio of special education programs and related services. Founded in 1963 and serving eleven member school districts, the cooperative operates the A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center as its core facility, offering multiple specialized programs including Communication Development, Connect, Early Childhood, Functional Academic Learning, Multi Needs, P.R.I.D.E., Students Teachers Achieving Results (STAR), and Transition Services. These programs work together to provide a full continuum of special education services, from early childhood intervention through transition to employment and adult life, delivered in a safe and nurturing learning environment that promotes inclusive education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center: A therapeutic center providing specialized educational services to students with disabilities.

Products and services

• A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center A specialized therapeutic center operating as the core facility at the Burbank, Illinois headquarters, delivering special education programming and related services (occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, behavior intervention) to students with disabilities referred by the 11 member school districts.
• Communication Development Program A specialized program focused on developing communication skills for students with disabilities, delivered as part of AERO's continuum of special education services for member district students.
• Connect Program A program that connects students with disabilities to educational and community resources, delivered as part of AERO's special education continuum for member district students.
• Early Childhood Program Early intervention special education services for young children with disabilities from AERO's member school districts, delivered as part of the cooperative's continuum of programming.
• Functional Academic Learning Program A program providing functional academic education tailored to students with disabilities, delivered as part of AERO's continuum of special education services for member district students.
• Multi Needs Program A comprehensive program serving students with multiple special education needs, delivered as part of AERO's continuum of services for member district students.
• P.R.I.D.E. Program A special education program offered at the A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center as part of the cooperative's continuum of services for students with disabilities from member districts.
• Students Teachers Achieving Results (STAR) A program connecting students with disabilities to teachers to achieve educational outcomes, delivered as part of AERO's continuum of special education services for member district students.
• Transition Services Services helping young adults with special needs transition into the workforce and community, including job coaching, job development, and DRS/Youth Services coordination, delivered as part of AERO's continuum of services for member district students.
• Therapeutic Services (OT, PT, Speech) Related therapy services — occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy — delivered to students with disabilities from member districts as part of AERO's continuum of special education services.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Burbank School District 111coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district of the cooperative. Burbank School District 111 is the host district for AERO's main facility at 5400 West 77th Street. Students from this district receive special education programming through the cooperative.
• Summit School District 104coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Summit School District 104 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Willow Springs School District 108coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Willow Springs School District 108 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Indian Springs School District 109coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Indian Springs School District 109 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Central Stickney School District 110coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Central Stickney School District 110 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Ridgeland School District 122coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Ridgeland School District 122 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Evergreen Park School District 124coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember district participating in the cooperative. Students from Evergreen Park School District 124 receive special education services through AERO's programs.
• Argo Community High School 217coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember high school district participating in the cooperative. Students from Argo Community High School District 217 receive special education transition and post-secondary services through AERO's programs.
• Reavis High School 220coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember high school district participating in the cooperative. Students from Reavis High School District 220 receive special education transition and post-secondary services through AERO's programs.
• Oak Lawn Community High School 229coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember high school district participating in the cooperative. Students from Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 receive special education transition and post-secondary services through AERO's programs.
• Evergreen Park Community High School 231coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember high school district participating in the cooperative. Students from Evergreen Park Community High School District 231 receive special education transition and post-secondary services through AERO's programs.
• Local Businesses and Community OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity and local businesses partner with AERO to help young adults with special needs transition into the world of work and community participation. These partnerships support the Transition Department's job development and placement services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LaSalle County Special Education Cooperative: Cooperative of LaSalle County school districts pooling resources for special-education services. Same Illinois joint-agreement framework, member-district governance, and therapeutic programming approach as AERO.
• School Association for Special Education in DuPage County (SASED): DuPage County cooperative providing special-education programs and therapeutic services to member districts. Operates with the same governance-by-member-districts structure and similar continuum of services (OT, PT, speech, behavior) as AERO.
• Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL): Illinois special-education cooperative serving multiple school districts in Lake County. Same statutory structure (joint agreement), same low-incidence programming model, and same member-district funding mechanism as AERO — a directly analogous regional peer.
• Peoria Area Education Consortium (PAEC): Regional special-education cooperative serving districts in the Peoria area with classroom-based, therapeutic, and transition programming. Directly comparable governance model and member-funded cooperative revenue structure.
• Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO): Illinois cooperative serving northwest suburban Chicago districts with special-education programming, therapeutic services, and transition support. Direct structural and geographic peer to AERO.
• Bureau Valley Special Education Cooperative: Illinois cooperative providing special-education programming to multiple member districts in the Bureau Valley region. Directly comparable statutory cooperative structure and service continuum.
• Grundy/Kendall Special Education Cooperative: Illinois special-education cooperative providing shared programming across Grundy and Kendall County districts. Closely mirrors AERO's cooperative governance and low-incidence service model.
• Northern Illinois Special Education Cooperative (NISEC): Multi-district Illinois cooperative serving special-education needs across northern Illinois districts. Comparable cooperative funding model and low-incidence specialization profile.
• Will County Special Education Cooperative: Joint agreement cooperative serving Will County member districts with special-education classrooms and related services. Same member-district pooling structure and contiguous Chicago-area geography to AERO.

Regional players

• Lexington School District 4 / Illinois non-public special education providers: Smaller Illinois school-district entities that operate special-education programs in-house rather than through a cooperative; representative of the alternative operating model that competing member districts could choose instead of participating in a cooperative like AERO.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AERO-Special-Education-Cooperative-1153522431455771
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aero-special-ed-co-op

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 AERO Special Education Cooperative