Lake County Office of Education

What Lake County Office of Education does

Lake County Office of Education (LCOE) is the intermediate level of California's public education system for Lake County, operating under the authority of the California Constitution, State Legislature, and State Board of Education. LCOE directly serves six local school districts (Kelseyville Unified, Konocti Unified, Lakeport Unified, Lucerne Elementary, Middletown Unified, Upper Lake Unified) and two charter schools, fulfilling state-mandated functions including district budget approval, LCAP review, teacher credentialing, and compliance monitoring. Beyond these oversight duties, LCOE runs a portfolio of county-operated programs including Clearlake Creativity School, Hance Community School, Lake County Adult School, Medical Training Programs (CNA/MA), Early Connections Preschools, Teach Lake County, and Taylor Observatory/Norton Planetarium. Service population spans from prenatal/early-childhood through adult learners, with sub-brands such as Lake County Quality Counts, Universal Prekindergarten, Bloom, and the SELPA governance structure for special education across the county.

LCOE's technology footprint centers on countywide IT infrastructure rather than consumer-facing products. Through partnerships with the California K12 High Speed Network and CENIC, LCOE provides internet access to 5,000+ devices and email services to 1,200 employees across Lake County schools, with OpenNMS monitoring and Fortigate filtering. Operational platforms include Informed K12 for forms, Eventbrite for event registration, Finalsite for web presence, and Google Forms-based SMS notification sign-ups. The Taylor Observatory offers a regionally distinctive STEM asset: a 16-inch research-grade telescope and 32-seat Digitarium planetarium supporting K-12 field trips and public evening events.

LCOE is not a commercial enterprise. Revenue is sourced from State of California allocations, federal funds (including ESSER III), Education Protection Account flows, and small transactional streams such as Live Scan fingerprinting ($25 fee plus DOJ/FBI pass-throughs) and conference room rentals. Customer segments are principally six districts and two charters (K-12 institutional), countywide K-12 students, young children 0-5 and families, substitute teachers, adult learners, and students with disabilities. The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program — distributing roughly 2,300 free books per month — illustrates a major donor-funded literacy initiative. Governance is provided by a five-member elected Board of Education, with Brock Falkenberg serving as Lake County Superintendent of Schools since 2014.

Name

Lake County Office of Education

Legal name

Lake County Office of Education

Website

https://lakecoe.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lake County Office of Education is California's intermediate public-education authority for Lake County, providing mandated fiscal oversight, credentialing, and compliance services to six districts and two charter schools while operating countywide programs in early childhood, K-12 STEAM, special education, adult schooling, and STEM observatory programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Administration Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Education Authorities & Municipal Education Offices (EDADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Elected School Boards & Governance Councils (EDADABAE), State/Provincial Education Department Administration (BPAIABAJ), District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA), State/Provincial/Regional Education Departments (EDADAAAB)

Keywords

• K-12 education oversight
• County education administration
• Teacher credentialing services
• Special education SELPA
• Early childhood education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding: County offices fulfill state mandates including approving school district budgets and LCAPs, registering teacher credentials, and developing countywide programs for students with special needs
2. Education Protection Account: California EPA funds allocated for instructional supplies and teacher supports at county-operated schools
3. Conference Room Rental: Conference rooms available for rent to public during business hours including Kesey Room, Learning Lab, and Taylor Observatory
4. Live Scan Fingerprinting Services: $25 rolling fee for live scan fingerprinting services, with additional DOJ/FBI fees based on background check type
5. ESSER III Funding: Federal COVID relief funds for educational programs and services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lake County Office of Education operates as the intermediate level of California's public education system, fulfilling state mandates for 6 local school districts and 2 charter schools through budget approval, LCAP approval, teacher credentialing, and compliance monitoring. It directly operates specialized schools (Adult School, Clearlake Creativity, Hance Community), early childhood programs, SELPA special education services, Teach Lake County teacher preparation, STEAM initiatives, and the Taylor Observatory/Norton Planetarium, while providing centralized IT infrastructure across Lake County.

Product overview

Lake County Office of Education operates as an intermediate level of California's public education system, providing support infrastructure for local schools and districts. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and services including early childhood education (Preschool Programs, Lake County Quality Counts, Universal Prekindergarten, Bloom), K-12 instruction (STEAM, Arts, Computer Science, Social Emotional Learning), career and adult education (Adult School, Medical Training Programs), specialized services (SELPA special education, Teach Lake County teacher preparation, Taylor Observatory), and district support (budget oversight, LCAP development, credential processing). The core offerings work together to serve students from birth through adulthood across Lake County's rural communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lake County Quality Counts (LCQC): Quality rating and improvement system for early childhood programs serving children ages 0-5
• Teach Lake County (TLC)
• Early Connections Preschools
• Bloom

Products and services

• Lake County Adult School
• Medical Training Programs
• Preschool Programs (Early Connections Preschools)
• Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
• Teach Lake County (TLC)
• STEAM Programs
• Taylor Observatory / Norton Planetarium
• Clearlake Creativity School
• Hance Community School
• Universal Prekindergarten (UPK)
• Lake County Quality Counts (LCQC)
• Imagination Library (Lake County)
• Information Technology Services
• Live Scan Fingerprinting Services
• District Fiscal Oversight and LCAP Approval

Quantifiable outcome

• 26% of students met/exceeded ELA standards (up from 23.3%)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• California K12 High Speed NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork connectivity partner providing high-bandwidth, high-capacity Internet specifically designed for K-12 schools
• California Research and Education Network (CENIC)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch and education network providing infrastructure for Lake County schools
• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBook-gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children ages 0-5. LCOE administers the program in Lake County, distributing 2,300 books monthly
• First 5 LakemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor donor to Imagination Library program supporting early literacy in Lake County
• Adventist Health ClearlakemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor donor to Imagination Library program supporting early literacy in Lake County
• Mendocino County Office of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in hosting Elementary Computer Science workshops for California teachers through Region 2 Computer Science Educator Workforce Investment Grant
• UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen SciencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing Caring for Clear Lake environmental education modules for 3rd-5th graders
• UC Davis Center for Regional ChangemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing Caring for Clear Lake environmental education modules
• CAPTAIN (California Autism Professional Training and Information Network)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of guidance and resources for Evidence-Based Practices series for educators working with students with ASD
• AFIRM (Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of guidance and resources for Evidence-Based Practices series for educators working with students with ASD
• Friends of Taylor ObservatorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization supporting Observatory outreach through fundraising and donations
• California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministering Rural Math Collaborative partnership funding through Assembly Bill 130
• NCO Head Start ProgramsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHead Start Child Development Program providing comprehensive early childhood services in Lake County through partnership for Universal Prekindergarten

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plumas County Office of Education: Plumas County Office of Education serves a very small, rural California county with an analogous role in district oversight, alternative education, and special education coordination - among the closest peers by county size and population.
• Sonoma County Office of Education: Sonoma County Office of Education performs the same statutory county-level education oversight function for a larger but adjacent California county, with comparable SELPA, STEAM, and teacher credentialing programs.
• Humboldt County Office of Education: Humboldt County Office of Education operates in a similarly rural coastal Northern California county, providing the same intermediate-tier education services, including alternative schools and special education coordination.
• Butte County Office of Education: Butte County Office of Education serves a comparable rural Northern California county with the same statutory functions - district oversight, credentialing, alternative education schools, and SELPA.
• Mendocino County Office of Education: Mendocino County Office of Education is a direct comparable - a neighboring rural California county office that already co-hosts professional development with LCOE and operates an identical state-mandated education governance role.
• Shasta County Office of Education: Shasta County Office of Education is a mid-sized Northern California county office performing identical statutory functions including credentialing, SELPA, alternative education, and countywide program administration.
• Napa County Office of Education: Napa County Office of Education is a similar small-to-mid California county office providing budget oversight, credentialing, SELPA, and STEAM programming to its constituent districts.
• El Dorado County Office of Education: El Dorado County Office of Education is a comparable mid-sized California county office delivering fiscal oversight, SELPA, CTE, and teacher credentialing services to its districts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCldABBC4KvkR2N4sxLw9iSQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/LakeCountyOfficeofEducation
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakecountyofficeofeducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Lake County Office of Education