What Kishwaukee Education Consortium does

Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) is a public education consortium headquartered at 21255 Malta Rd, Malta, Illinois, operating under an intergovernmental cooperative agreement among nine northern Illinois school districts: DeKalb CUSD 428, Genoa-Kingston CUSD 424, Hiawatha CUSD 426, Rochelle Township High School 212, Sycamore CUSD 427, Hinckley-Big Rock CUSD 429, Indian Creek CUSD 425, Sandwich CUSD 430, and Somonauk CUSD 432. KEC's governing board includes a representative from each member district plus the Kishwaukee College President (Dr. Laurie Borowicz), with Dr. Jason Harper serving as Board Chair. The consortium operates with 23 employees and serves high school students seeking career and technical education, at-risk students in grades 6-12, and young children ages 3-5.

KEC's core product portfolio consists of three lines: (1) Career and Technical Education (CTE), offering 20 class offerings across trades (Automotive, Diesel, Welding, Construction), health sciences (CNA, EMT, Sports Medicine, Medical Terminology), technology (CIS/Computer Programming), public safety (Criminal Justice, Fire Science), services (Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, Culinary Arts), and emerging fields (Aviation, Mental Health Careers, Senior Business Leadership Academy); (2) Phoenix Academy, an alternative education program with class sizes of 10-15 students serving credit-deficient and at-risk students in grades 6-12, reporting a 93% success rate (Monday-Friday, 8:40am-2:15pm); and (3) KEC Sunnyside Preschool, a play-based early childhood program for ages 3-5 operated on the Kishwaukee College campus at $5.00/day. Supporting programs include PHX Tees (student-run apparel business launching 2025-2026), SkillsUSA student organization, Student Ambassadors club, and Dr. Horn's Corner content series. The technology stack relies on TeacherEase for academic management and traditional classroom plus hands-on laboratory instruction; Phoenix Academy uses a combination of teacher-directed classes, individualized instruction, and technology-delivered independent study.

KEC does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through member school district contributions, Illinois state education funding, and federal CTE grants, with the only direct fee being the $5.00/day preschool charge. Dual credit pathways are delivered through partnerships with Kishwaukee College, Rock Valley College, Waubonsee Community College, and Northern Illinois University. KEC claims 97% CNA certification pass rates over the past three years and a course breadth exceeding any other career center in Illinois. The go-to-market is entirely institutional: students are referred by member district counselors and administrators, transportation is arranged by home districts, and there is no commercial customer acquisition motion. There is no venture capital, private equity, or external ownership; KEC is a public education entity governed by its member districts.

Name

Kishwaukee Education Consortium

Legal name

Kishwaukee Education Consortium

Website

https://kecprograms.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kishwaukee Education Consortium is a public intergovernmental education cooperative in northern Illinois that delivers career and technical education across 20 programs, alternative education through Phoenix Academy, and preschool services to nine member school districts in DeKalb County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Career and Technical Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE), Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Career and technical education
• Alternative education services
• Preschool early childhood education
• Dual credit career programs
• K-12 education consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Malta

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. K-12 Public Education Funding: As a public education consortium, KEC is funded through member school district contributions, state education funding, and federal CTE grants. Students attend tuition-free as part of their high school curriculum.
2. Preschool Fees: KEC Sunnyside Preschool charges $5.00 per day for children ages 3-5, providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences while training high school students in early childhood education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kishwaukee Education Consortium is a regional public education consortium that delivers Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes across 20 fields, an alternative education program (Phoenix Academy) for at-risk students in grades 6-12, and KEC Sunnyside Preschool for children ages 3-5. Services are delivered on the Malta, Illinois campus and made accessible to students from nine member Illinois school districts through tuition-free enrollment and transportation arranged by home districts.

Product overview

Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) is an educational consortium offering a unified portfolio of career and technical education (CTE) programs and alternative education services. The core offerings include 20 CTE career and technical education classes spanning trades, health sciences, technology, and public safety fields; Phoenix Academy, an alternative education program for grades 6-12 serving credit-deficient students; and KEC Sunnyside Preschool, a developmental preschool program. Supporting programs include PHX Tees (student-run apparel business), SkillsUSA student organization, Dr. Horn's Corner educational content series, and Student Ambassadors club. The consortium partners with local high schools, Kishwaukee College, Rock Valley College, Waubonsee Community College, and Northern Illinois University to deliver dual credit opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Phoenix Academy: Alternative education program for students in grades 6-12 who need additional academic support. Provides instruction for credit-deficient students and those lacking academic proficiency.
• KEC Sunnyside Preschool

Products and services

• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Classes Career and technical education program offering 20 CTE class offerings including Automotive Technology, Aviation, Barbering, Certified Nurse Assistant, CIS/Computer Programming, Construction Trades, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Diesel Technology, Early Childhood Education, Emergency Medical Technician Basic, Esthetics, Fire Science, Mass Communications, Medical Terminology, Mental Health Careers Exploration, Senior Business Leadership Academy, Sports Medicine, and Welding. Designed for high school students from member districts seeking career credentials and dual credit.
• Phoenix Academy Alternative education program for students in grades 6-12 who have been identified by their home schools as needing more support than the school can provide. Provides academic support for credit-deficient students with class sizes of 10-15 students, operating Monday through Friday, 8:40am-2:15pm. Combines traditional teacher-directed classes, individualized instruction, and independent study through technology-delivered learning.
• KEC Sunnyside Preschool Preschool program for children ages 3-5 located on the campus of Kishwaukee College. Provides developmentally appropriate learning experiences in a play-based environment and simultaneously provides high school students with interactive teaching experiences under supervision of an experienced early childhood professional. Operates Tuesday and Thursday 9:00am-12:00pm at $5.00 per day.
• PHX Tees Student-led t-shirt business run in the Phoenix Academy Entrepreneurship Class, teaching skills such as marketing, project management, customer communication, and basic accounting. New for the 2025-2026 school year.
• SkillsUSA Career and technical student organization providing leadership and competition opportunities for KEC CTE students through participation in SkillsUSA programs and competitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% success rate for Phoenix Academy students
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• DeKalb Community Unit School District 428coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium. Students from DeKalb attend CTE classes and Phoenix Academy at KEC. District provides staff for governing board.
• Genoa Kingston Community Unit School District 424coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium. Students from Genoa-Kingston attend CTE classes and Phoenix Academy at KEC.
• Hiawatha District 426coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium. Students from Hiawatha attend CTE classes and Phoenix Academy at KEC.
• Rochelle Township High School 212coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium. Board Chair Dr. Jason Harper represents this district. Students attend CTE programs at KEC.
• Sycamore Community School District 427coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium. Dr. Kristen Campbell represents this district on the governing board.
• Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District 429coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium serving Hinckley and Big Rock communities in Illinois.
• Indian Creek School District 425coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium serving Indian Creek area students.
• Sandwich Community Unit School District 430coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium serving Sandwich, Illinois area students.
• Somonauk Community Unit School District 432coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember school district of KEC consortium serving Somonauk, Illinois area students.
• Kishwaukee CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKishwaukee College President Dr. Laurie Borowicz serves on KEC governing board. KEC Sunnyside Preschool is located on Kishwaukee College campus. Partnership provides dual credit pathways and college connections for CTE students.
• Rock Valley CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner providing dual credit opportunities and pathway programs for KEC students pursuing higher education.
• Waubonsee Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity college partner providing dual credit opportunities and pathway programs for KEC students pursuing higher education.
• Northern Illinois UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner providing pathway programs and higher education opportunities for KEC CTE students.
• SkillsUSAsecondaryOthersNational career and technical education student organization. KEC participates in SkillsUSA programs and competitions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. KEC participates in SkillsUSA as a student organization affiliate. Comparable as an ecosystem participant in CTE rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Indian Valley Vocational Center: Regional career and technical education center serving multiple high schools in north-central Illinois. Operates with a similar consortium-style model delivering CTE programs across multiple school districts, directly comparable to KEC's regional CTE delivery model.
• Omegon: Wisconsin-based nonprofit providing alternative education and therapeutic services for at-risk youth, including credit-recovery programming. Comparable to KEC's Phoenix Academy in serving credit-deficient and at-risk students with individualized instruction, though focuses on a different geographic region and student population.
• Whiteside Area Career Center: Regional CTE center serving multiple school districts in northwestern Illinois. Operates under a similar intergovernmental model to KEC, providing career and technical education programming across trades, healthcare, and technology fields to member high schools.
• Career Center of Southern Illinois: Regional CTE center serving high school students across multiple school districts in southern Illinois. Comparable to KEC in providing consortium-based CTE programming across trades, healthcare, and vocational fields with dual-credit pathway opportunities.

Broad incumbents

• Universal Technical Institute: National for-profit provider of postsecondary CTE training in automotive, diesel, welding, and industrial trades. Comparable in CTE curriculum focus — particularly in automotive, diesel, and welding programs that KEC also offers — though operates as a tuition-based postsecondary institution rather than a public high school consortium.
• Lincoln Tech: National for-profit CTE provider offering programs in automotive, welding, HVAC, healthcare, and skilled trades. Comparable in CTE delivery focus, though operates as a tuition-based postsecondary institution rather than a public K-12 consortium like KEC.

Regional players

• College of DuPage (CTE Programs): Large Illinois community college offering extensive CTE programming and dual-credit opportunities to high school students in the western Chicago suburbs. Comparable to KEC's CTE and dual-credit offerings, though at significantly larger scale and as a single institution.
• Lake Land College (Workforce Development & CTE): Illinois community college providing CTE programming and dual-credit pathways to high school students in a different region than KEC. Comparable in dual-credit offerings and college pathway integration, though it operates as a single institution rather than a multi-district consortium.
• Joliet Junior College (CTE Programs): Illinois community college offering CTE programming and dual-credit pathways to high school students in the Joliet region. Comparable to KEC's CTE and dual-credit offerings but operates as a single postsecondary institution rather than a regional consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClaSRjKkNnAopGk7J9Gbj7g/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/kecschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kishwaukee-education-consortium

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Kishwaukee Education Consortium