South Cook Intermediate Service Center

What South Cook Intermediate Service Center does

South Cook Intermediate Service Center (SCISC) is a regional educational service center and Regional Office of Education operating under Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/13A) and Public Acts 89-383/89-636 in South Suburban Cook County, Illinois. The organization serves 66 public school districts and 5 special education cooperatives, providing a multi-service platform spanning four functional pillars: (1) RISE (Regional Institute for Scholastic Excellence), an alternative school program for grades 6-12 operating at two campuses in Chicago Heights and Worth; (2) professional learning and educator licensure services, including workshops, Administrator Academy/PERA training, and Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) processing; (3) health, life safety, and compliance oversight, including annual building inspections, four-year compliance visits, school construction permitting, and professional development provider audits; and (4) student and district resources, including McKinney-Vento homeless education, truancy referral, e-learning verification, school calendar approval, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programming. Operations are delivered through web-based portals (RISE Intake System, Truancy Referral Application, Compliance Portal, fingerprinting scheduler) and direct district relationships.

SCISC generates revenue through a blend of state appropriations under Illinois School Code (as a recognized Regional Office of Education/Intermediate Service Center) and per-service fees charged to member districts, including RISE alternative education tuition (quoted on request), $50 per educator endorsement application, $75 per division team for Math Bowl competitions, and $199 per school enrollment for the Scripps Spelling Bee. Professional development workshops are distributed through Eventbrite self-service registration. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and B2G (business-to-government), with districts entering into formal program agreements and submitting regulatory documentation through designated portals. The organization is led by Executive Director/Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Anthony Marinello and operates with a stated headcount of 37 employees, reflecting a small, regionally-bounded government entity rather than a scalable commercial enterprise.

Name

South Cook Intermediate Service Center

Legal name

South Cook Intermediate Service Center

Website

https://s-cook.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

South Cook ISC is a state-mandated Regional Office of Education serving 66 public school districts and 5 special education cooperatives in South Suburban Cook County, Illinois, providing alternative education (RISE), professional development, educator licensure, and regulatory compliance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Educational service agency
• Alternative education programs
• Educator licensure services
• Professional development training
• School district compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. District Service Fees: SCISC generates revenue through service fees charged to member school districts for programs including RISE alternative education placements, professional development workshops, and licensure processing. The organization also receives state funding as a regional educational service center under Illinois School Code.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

South Cook Intermediate Service Center (SCISC) is a regional educational service center that provides coordinated educational support services to 66 public school districts and 5 special education cooperatives in South Suburban Cook County, Illinois. Its core offerings include the RISE alternative education program, professional learning and development, educator licensure processing, student support resources, and health and life safety compliance assistance for member districts.

Product overview

South Cook Intermediate Service Center (SCISC) provides a comprehensive suite of educational support services to 66 public school districts and 5 special education cooperatives in South Suburban Cook County. The organization operates a multi-service platform architecture comprising: RISE (Regional Institute for Scholastic Excellence), an alternative school program for grades 6-12 serving at-risk students; Professional Learning and Development Services offering workshops and educator training; Educator Licensure Services managing teaching credentials; Student Support Resources including McKinney-Vento, truancy, and SEL programs; Health and Compliance Services for school safety and regulatory oversight; and District Resources supporting school operations. The organization also operates web-based portal systems including the RISE Intake System for student placement requests and the Truancy Referral Application for case management, as well as hosting community programs like the annual Scripps Spelling Bee and Math Bowl competition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RISE (Regional Institute for Scholastic Excellence): Alternative school program serving students in grades 6-12 who are eligible for suspension or expulsion

Products and services

• RISE Alternative Education Program
• Professional Learning and Development
• Educator Licensure Services
• Student Support Resources
• Health and Life Safety Compliance Services
• District Resources and Coordination

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pepper ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPepper Construction partners with South Cook ISC to sponsor the Annual Scripps Spelling Bee events, supporting academic excellence across the region's schools.
• ARCON AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerARCON Associates co-sponsors the Annual Scripps Spelling Bee events alongside Pepper Construction and South Cook ISC.
• Prairie Hill School District 144minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrairie Hill School District 144 coordinates the South Cook Math Bowl competition in partnership with South Cook ISC, hosting the annual event at Prairie State College.
• North Cook ISCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Cook ISC partners with North Cook ISC and West40 for joint Scripps Spelling Bee regional competitions, with regional championship events.
• West40minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Cook ISC partners with West40 and North Cook ISC for regional Scripps Spelling Bee events and championship competition.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCISC operates under ISBE guidelines as a Regional Superintendent/Intermediate Service Center, providing compliance oversight, educator licensure, and district services per Illinois School Code.
• Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents (IARSS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCISC participates in IARSS for compliance coordination and information sharing among regional educational service centers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Lake County Regional Office of Education: Regional Office of Education delivering equivalent educator licensure, compliance, and student services to Lake County districts. Operates with similar governance and revenue mix to SCISC.
• Will County Regional Office of Education: ROE serving Will County with parallel Illinois School Code mandates. Comparable in headcount, district count, and service mix to SCISC; useful reference for per-district operating cost benchmarks.
• North Cook Intermediate Service Center: Direct peer ISC serving north suburban Cook County districts under the same Illinois School Code framework. Co-hosts regional Spelling Bee championship with SCISC and operates an analogous professional learning, licensure, and compliance portfolio.
• West40 Intermediate Service Center: Direct peer ISC covering western Cook County. Joint partner with SCISC and North Cook on regional Scripps Spelling Bee events, and competes for the same regional compliance, PD, and student support mandates.
• DuPage Regional Office of Education: Regional Office of Education serving DuPage County with the same statutory functions as SCISC: compliance visits, educator licensure, truancy oversight, and professional development. Most directly comparable in service breadth within Illinois.
• Kane County Regional Office of Education: ROE serving Kane County with the same Illinois School Code authority and comparable professional development, licensure, and compliance portfolio to SCISC.

Broad incumbents

• Illinois State Board of Education: State-level education authority that delegates authority to and supervises SCISC. Not a direct competitor but defines the operating mandate, funding mechanisms, and compliance framework within which SCISC operates.

Regional players

• Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES: BOCES serving suburban districts north of New York City. Comparable regional educational services agency model with alternative education, PD, and shared compliance offerings; benchmark for cross-state service delivery.
• Erie 1 BOCES: New York State Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) agency. Functionally equivalent to an Illinois ISC: shared services, alternative education, professional development, and compliance support for component districts in a defined region.

Others

• Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents (IARSS): Industry association of which SCISC is a participating member. Provides peer coordination, advocacy, and information sharing across Illinois ROEs and ISCs; ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SouthCookISC
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthCookISC4
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-cook-intermediate-service-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/southcookisc

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 South Cook Intermediate Service Center