Southern Ohio Educational Svc

What Southern Ohio Educational Svc does

Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC) is a state-designated Educational Service Center (ESC) providing contracted educational support services to K-12 public school districts across a five-county region in southern Ohio — Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland counties. The organization delivers professional development, instructional coaching, technology services, planning support, administrative back-office services, special education, and workforce development programming to 12 named member districts serving more than 16,000 students. SOESC operates three primary program units: the Southern Ohio Learning Center (alternative education and paraprofessional support), the Hopewell Center (special education cooperative for students with disabilities, including BCBA services), and State Support Team Region 14 (technical assistance, school improvement consulting, and professional development for member districts).

SOESC's core technology is conventional ESC infrastructure: a calendar-driven professional development program, school-improvement consulting frameworks, speech-language pathology and school psychology service delivery, fingerprinting and substitute-teacher coordination systems, and Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC) administration. The organization does not operate a proprietary software platform; its distribution layer is built on direct district contracts and on-site staffing within member schools, plus a fiscal-agency role administering Region 14 and Hopewell funds.

SOESC is governed by a nine-member Governing Board and operates on an annual budget of $16.7 million with 112 employees, headquartered in Wilmington, OH (3321 Airborne Road) with a second facility in Hillsboro, OH (Hopewell Center). Revenue is generated through multi-year contracted service agreements with member districts, fiscal-agency fees for Region 14 and Hopewell, and grant- and partner-funded workforce development coordinator positions. The organization holds the High-Performing ESC designation from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce for 10 consecutive years and documents an 18.19% cost savings ($237,343.47 in FY2025) for client districts versus internal service provision.

Name

Southern Ohio Educational Svc

Legal name

Southern Ohio Educational Service Center

Website

https://southernohioesc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southern Ohio Educational Service Center is a state-designated Educational Service Center providing contracted professional development, special education, technology, and administrative services to 12 K-12 public school districts across a five-county region in southern Ohio, serving over 16,000 students on a $16.7M annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL), Special Education (IEP/504) & Student Support Case Management (EDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Educational service center
• Professional development services
• Special education cooperative
• School district support
• Workforce development coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School District Service Contracts: SOESC generates revenue through contracted service agreements with member school districts, providing cost-effective educational services including professional development, technology, coaching, planning, and administrative services. The organization generates cost savings of at least 5% for client districts compared to providing services internally.
2. Fiscal Agency Services: SOESC serves as fiscal agent for Region 14/Hopewell Center, providing state support services and special education cooperative services to member schools.
3. Workforce Development Grants: Funding for workforce development coordination positions provided through partner contributions and external funding sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southern Ohio Educational Service Center (SOESC) is a regional Educational Service Center that delivers shared educational support services to K-12 public school districts in southern Ohio. Its offerings include professional development, instructional coaching, curriculum implementation support, special education services, workforce development coordination, speech-language pathology, fingerprinting, substitute teacher coordination, and administrative back-office support. SOESC also serves as fiscal agent for the State Support Team Region 14 and the Hopewell Special Education Cooperative, extending its reach across 12+ member districts and 18 schools.

Product overview

Southern Ohio ESC provides a coordinated portfolio of educational support services to school districts across Clinton, Fayette, Highland, and Adams Counties in Ohio. The organization operates as a multi-component service center comprising the Southern Ohio Learning Center (for general and special education student services), the Hopewell Center (special education cooperative), State Support Team Region 14 (school improvement and technical assistance), and the Teaching and Learning Team (curriculum and professional development). Workforce Development Initiatives and the Business Advisory Council coordinate career readiness programming. Additional services include speech-language pathology, fingerprinting, substitute teaching coordination, and professional development calendar management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southern Ohio Learning Center (SOLC)
• Hopewell Center
• State Support Team Region 14
• Teaching and Learning Team
• Professional Development Services
• Workforce Development Initiatives
• Business Advisory Council (BAC)
• Speech-Language Pathology Services
• School Psychologist Services
• Fingerprinting Services
• Substitute Teaching Services
• Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC)

Quantifiable outcome

• 18.19% cost savings ($237,343.47) for client districts in FY 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clinton County Business Advisory CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026County-level Business Advisory Council coordinated by SOESC, bringing together business, education, and community partners to strengthen career readiness and workforce development for students
• Fayette County Business Advisory CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2025County-level Business Advisory Council under SOESC's Regional BAC, strengthening collaboration between schools, industry, and employers in Fayette County
• OhioMeansJobs Clinton CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for internship program connecting high school students with local businesses, providing career readiness workshops and job search support
• Ohio Department of Education & WorkforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership for High-Performing ESC designation, Business Advisory Council recognition, and regional educational initiatives
• Miami Trace Local SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Fayette County Workforce Development Coordinator position, along with Washington Court House City Schools, City of Washington Court House, and Fayette County Commissioners
• Washington Court House City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Fayette County Workforce Development Coordinator position for career readiness programming and workforce initiatives
• City of Washington Court HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership supporting workforce development initiatives through economic development alignment
• Fayette County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partnership supporting workforce development coordinator position and regional economic development
• Clinton County Workforce CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOESC serves as host and partner for monthly CCWC meetings, coordinating employers, educators, and community partners for workforce development
• Region 14 State Support TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOESC serves as fiscal agent for Region 14, providing state support services and school improvement assistance to member districts
• Hopewell Special Education CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOESC serves as fiscal agent for Hopewell Center, providing special education cooperative services to 18 member schools
• MVECAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiami Valley Educational Computer Association - regional educational technology partnership
• OESCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio ESC Association - state-level consortium of Educational Service Centers
• OSBAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio School Boards Association - professional organization supporting school board governance
• Great Oaks Career CampusesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional career and technical education provider hosting events and collaboration

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center: Ohio regional ESC serving multiple counties in central Ohio. Operates parallel service lines including professional development, special education cooperatives, and State Support Team fiscal agency — same operating model as SOESC.
• Cuyahoga County Educational Service Center: One of Ohio's largest Educational Service Centers, providing PD, special education staffing, technology, and fiscal agency across Cuyahoga County districts. Closely comparable operating model and service catalog.
• Educational Service Center of Central Ohio: Ohio ESC delivering professional development, special education services, and administrative support to districts in central Ohio. Mirrors SOESC's member-district contract structure and High-Performing ESC designation pathway.
• Montgomery County Educational Service Center: Ohio ESC serving school districts in the Dayton region with professional development, special education, gifted services, and fiscal-agency functions. Direct comparable to SOESC in scope, structure, and reliance on member-district contracts.
• Hamilton County Educational Service Center: Ohio regional Educational Service Center providing shared professional development, special education, and administrative services to member K-12 districts in the Cincinnati region. Operates the same state-designated ESC model as SOESC, with comparable service lines and funding sources.
• Lake Erie West Educational Service Center: Ohio regional ESC serving school districts in northwest Ohio. Provides the same range of shared services — PD, special education, technology — funded through member-district contracts and state support team fiscal agency.
• Greene County Educational Service Center: Ohio ESC serving Greene County districts with shared professional development, special education, and workforce-development-adjacent programming. Comparable scale and rural-to-suburban district mix.

Others

• Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA): State-level consortium representing Ohio's Educational Service Centers. Not a competitor but a peer organization that provides advocacy, training, and coordination across the ESC network in which SOESC operates.
• Battelle for Kids: Ohio-based nonprofit focused on K-12 education improvement, leadership, and workforce readiness. Operates in adjacent space to SOESC's workforce-development and teaching/learning work, with overlapping district relationships but nonprofit rather than public-ESC structure.

Regional players

• Erie 1 BOCES: New York Boards of Cooperative Educational Services organization providing shared services to component school districts — the New York analog of Ohio's ESC system. Comparable role in shared services, special education cooperatives, and regional coordination, but operates under different state statute.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SouthernOhioESC
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthernOhioESC
• Instagraminstagram.com/SouthernOhioESC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-ohio-educational-svc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Southern Ohio Educational Svc