Alpena-montmorency-alcona Educational Service District

What Alpena-montmorency-alcona Educational Service District does

Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District (AMA ESD) is a public Intermediate School District operated by the State of Michigan that provides regional educational services across Alpena, Montmorency, and Alcona counties in Northeast Michigan. Founded in 1960 as Pied Piper School, the organization serves as the statutory shared-services provider for four member school districts (Alcona, Alpena, Atlanta, and Hillman Community Schools) and operates a portfolio of programs including special education through Pied Piper School (for students ages 3-26 with moderate to severe cognitive impairments, severe multiple impairments, and autism), early childhood programs (GSRP preschool, Head Start partnerships, and Early On intervention for ages 0-3), the MiFamily Engagement Center for Region 3, the Grow Your Own educator pipeline, and the Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline in partnership with Alpena Community College, Northern Michigan University, and Central Michigan University. The organization employs 101-250 staff and is governed by a seven-member Board of Education under the supervision of the Michigan Department of Education.

AMA ESD's revenue model is almost entirely dependent on Michigan State School Aid Funding, including Section 32p Early Childhood Block Grants for Great Start Collaborative activities, with supplemental funding from local millage, competitive grants (over $730,000 in Grow Your Own Staff Grants secured across 2023-25), and community foundation gifts ($80,000 founding gift from Blue Horizons in 2025 for the Pied Piper Legacy Fund). The organization does not develop proprietary technology — its core offerings are direct human-delivered educational services, family engagement programs, and professional development workshops. Distribution is entirely regional, with all services delivered through on-site programs at Pied Piper School, MiFamily Engagement Centers across the three-county region, and direct partnerships with member districts and university partners. Recent strategic initiatives include the ADA Playground Initiative (completed across 9 playgrounds in two phases), facility modernization completed in 2024, and the launch of the Pied Piper Esports Program in 2024 for inclusive competitive gaming for students with disabilities.

Name

Alpena-montmorency-alcona Educational Service District

Legal name

Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District

Website

https://amaesd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AMA ESD is a public Michigan Intermediate School District providing special education, early childhood, family engagement, and educator development services to four member school districts across Alpena, Montmorency, and Alcona counties in rural Northeast Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Schools & Life Skills Programs (EDAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI), Down Syndrome & Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Childcare (HSAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Early childhood education
• Regional educational services
• Educator development programs
• Family engagement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State School Aid Funding: Primary funding from Michigan State School Aid Budget, including Section 32p Early Childhood Block Grant for Great Start Collaborative activities. Revenue eliminated for Great Start Collaborative in 2025 ($19.4 million statewide cut).

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AMA ESD is a Michigan Intermediate School District that delivers regional special education services through Pied Piper School for students ages 3-26 with disabilities, early childhood programs including GSRP, Head Start, and Early On interventions, family engagement via the MiFamily Engagement Center (Region 3), educator development programs such as Grow Your Own Grants and the Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline, and accessibility infrastructure like the ADA Playground Initiative.

Product overview

The Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District (AMA ESD) operates as a regional educational support organization serving Alpena, Montmorency, and Alcona counties in Northeast Michigan. Rather than offering a unified technology product, the district provides a portfolio of educational programs and services including: special education services through Pied Piper School (serving students ages 3-26 with disabilities), early childhood programs including preschool (GSRP/Head Start) and Early On intervention services, family engagement support via the MiFamily Engagement Center (Region 3), educator development programs including the Grow Your Own Grant and Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline, student activities such as the Pied Piper Esports team, professional development workshops like the Spreading HOPE Workshop, and infrastructure initiatives such as the ADA Playground Initiative. The district coordinates these programs across local school districts to support students, educators, and families throughout the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pied Piper School: Special education school operated by AMA ESD serving students ages 3-26 with disabilities including moderate to severe cognitive impairment, severe multiple impairment, and autism.

Products and services

• Pied Piper School
• MiFamily Engagement Center - Region 3
• Preschool Programs (GSRP & Head Start)
• Early On Program
• Grow Your Own Educator Pathways
• Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline
• Pied Piper Esports Program
• Spreading HOPE Workshop
• ADA Playground Initiative
• Pied Piper Legacy Fund

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundation for Northeast MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2025Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan manages the Pied Piper Legacy Fund and partners with AMA ESD to steward donations and support Pied Piper School initiatives.
• MiFamily Engagement CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA ESD hosts MiFamily Engagement Center Region 3, providing family engagement, preschool enrollment, and community support services. Partners with NEMIFamConnect.com for family resources.
• Alpena Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC collaborates on Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline (with NMU and CMU), dual enrollment alignment, quarterly special education networking sessions, and hosts staff meetings.
• Western Governors UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWGU partnered with AMA ESD for the Grow Your Own program, providing degree completion pathway for Melissa Cumper's Elementary Education degree.
• Northern Michigan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMU partners with ACC and AMA ESD on Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline, providing 2+ pathways for elementary education degrees.
• Central Michigan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMU partners with ACC and AMA ESD on Northeast Michigan Teacher Pipeline, providing 2+ pathways for elementary education degrees.
• Michigan Scholastic Esports League (MSHEL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPied Piper Esports team participates in MSHEL Unified League, providing inclusive competitive gaming opportunities for students with disabilities alongside Alcona and Alpena schools.
• NEMROCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMROC provides Supported Employment services for people with disabilities through AMA ESD as a partner site.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iosco RESA: Regional Educational Service Agency serving Iosco County in Northeast Michigan. Operates special education programs and shared services for member districts in a comparable rural setting within the same geographic region.
• Bay-Arenac ISD: Michigan Intermediate School District providing special education, career-technical education, and regional services to member districts in Bay and Arenac counties. Directly comparable as a regional ESD serving rural Northeast Michigan with similar special education and early childhood mandates.
• C.O.O.R. ISD: Regional Educational Service Agency in Northern Michigan serving Crawford, Oscoda, Ogemaw, and Roscommon counties. Provides special education, early childhood services, and instructional support to member districts in a rural setting similar to AMA ESD.
• NEMCSA Head Start: Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency administering Head Start and Early Head Start programs across the same 11-county region as AMA ESD. Partners with AMA ESD on early childhood services and shares the same target demographic of low-income and at-risk families.
• Wexford-Missaukee ISD: Michigan ISD serving rural Wexford and Missaukee counties with special education, career and technical education, and general education services. Comparable in scale, rural service area, and portfolio of regional educational support programs.
• Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle ESD: Michigan Educational Service Agency serving three rural Northern Lower Peninsula counties with special education, career-technical education, and early childhood services. Highly comparable three-county rural ESD structure serving a similar demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Department of Education: State-level regulatory and funding authority overseeing all Michigan ISDs and school districts. Sets the policy and funding framework that governs AMA ESD's operations, including the Grow Your Own Grants and Section 32p Early Childhood Block Grant funding.
• Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators: Statewide association representing Michigan's 56 Intermediate School Districts. Provides collective advocacy, professional development, and shared services to ISDs including AMA ESD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AMAESD1
• Facebookfacebook.com/amaesd
• Instagraminstagram.com/amaesd1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Alpena-montmorency-alcona Educational Service District