Region 8 Education Service Center of Northeast Indiana

Name

Region 8 Education Service Center of Northeast Indiana

Legal name

Region 8 Education Service Center

Website

https://r8esc.k12.in.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Region 8 Education Service Center is a voluntary regional cooperative formed by local school corporations to deliver shared educational services to 33 public school districts, 19 private schools, and over 92,000 students across 15 Northeast Indiana counties. Core offerings include substitute teacher management (SubAssign/SmartFind Express), portable Digitarium digital planetarium rentals, Learn360 streaming video resources, professional development workshops, cooperative purchasing through ECPA and IAESC, career pathway and apprenticeship programs (INCAP), and Work-Based Learning Hub services.

Product overview

Region 8 Education Service Center is a voluntary regional cooperative serving 33 public school districts, 19 private schools, and over 92,000 students across 15 Northeast Indiana counties. The organization offers a portfolio of educational service products centered around SubAssign (substitute teacher management serving 8 districts, 76 buildings, and 3,191 employees) and the Digitarium portable planetarium system. Additional services include the Learn 360 streaming video platform, Region 8 Learning Lab meeting space, Work Based Learning Hub using Jobready360 technology, Agilities career training, Science of Reading professional development, Indiana Career Apprenticeship Program (INCAP), Strengths Finder coaching, and cooperative purchasing through ECPA and IAESC partnerships. The organization also provides networking opportunities through Curriculum Council, Counselor's Roundtable, and EL Excellence Collaborative, along with substitute placement services and professional development workshops. The portfolio functions as a unified cooperative service offering with modules that member schools can access individually based on their needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SubAssign Substitute Teacher Management A substitute teacher management program that connects schools with substitute teachers using the SmartFind Express automated phone system for absence management, scheduling, and substitute assignment. Currently serves 8 school districts, 76 school buildings, approximately 3,191 employees, and 660 registered substitutes.
• Digitarium Portable Planetarium A portable digital planetarium system for astronomy education available as D1 and D2 models that can be reserved and delivered to member schools for one-week periods. Includes lesson plans, augmented reality content, media resources, and manuals for classroom use.
• Learn360 Streaming Video Service A cloud-based streaming video educational resource service available for order by member schools, providing curriculum-aligned video content for classroom instruction.
• Work Based Learning Hub A platform supporting career coaching schools with student internship tracking, employer connections, and process reporting for work-based learning activities. Utilizes the Jobready360 WBL platform for partner schools.
• Indiana Career Apprenticeship Program (INCAP) A state apprenticeship program coordinated by Region 8 ESC that connects students with industry employers for work-based learning, combining classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training across multiple career sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and logistics.
• Science of Reading Supports Professional development and resources for implementing evidence-based reading instruction, including Orton-Gillingham training through IMSE and LETRS training through Lexia Learning, offered at discounted cohort rates for member districts.
• Professional Development Workshops Open enrollment workshops for member and non-member educators covering literacy, accountability, teacher evaluation, MTSS implementation, and classroom instruction, with Professional Growth Plan (PGP) tracking available.
• Strengths Finder Coaching Clifton StrengthsFinder-based training and coaching services for educators, offering on-site training, individual coaching, and team building workshops facilitated by a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach.
• Cooperative Purchasing Program Partnership with ECPA and IAESC Procurement providing aggregated purchasing power for member schools, including Amazon contracts and natural gas cooperative programs through Maverick Energy.
• Region 8 Learning Lab A flexible meeting and training space accommodating up to 24 people with Apple TV, HDMI, wide-screen TVs, and dry-erase board tables. Free for member schools; $25-$50 per half day and $50-$100 per whole day for non-members and other organizations.
• Agilities Career Training Career development training based on The DeBruce Foundation's Agilities framework, helping students understand fundamental work activities and skills aligned with Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation data to make informed career decisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 33 public school districts, 19 private schools, and over 92,000 students across 15 Northeast Indiana counties

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ECPA (Educational Cooperative Purchasing Alliance)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorECPA is managed by CIESC utilizing SpendBridge, Indigo, and other supporting platforms. Region 8 ESC partners with ECPA to provide cooperative purchasing services to member schools. The statewide team of purchasing agents understands the laws and rules governing purchasing and sets up systems for efficiency and cost effectiveness.
• IAESC ProcurementminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIAESC Procurement is run by the Wilson Education Service Center and uses its own proprietary platform. Region 8 ESC offers this as an additional purchasing option for member schools alongside ECPA.
• Maverick EnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNatural Gas Cooperative partnership offering purchasing options for member schools. Contact information provided for schools to learn more about purchasing options.
• Jobready360coreTechnology or IntegrationRegion 8 supports Career Coaching schools with the Jobready360 WBL platform. Through the platform, partner schools can track student internships and other career-related activities, connect students and employers, and report/track processes for educators and employers.
• The DeBruce FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegion 8 ESC partners with The DeBruce Foundation to provide Agilities trainings to help students understand their fundamental work activities and become more informed career decision makers. The DeBruce Foundation determined there are fundamental themes of work activities across occupations called Agilities.
• ESC of IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESC of Indiana has worked to develop partnerships with a wide variety of organizations to support the needs of education service centers across the state. Region 8 ESC participates in these statewide partnerships and collaborations.
• Huntington University TESOLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegion 8 co-hosts a monthly EL Excellence Collaborative along with Huntington University TESOL to support local EL educators. Goals include supporting EL teachers, creating resources for general education teachers, and creating resources for building administrators to strengthen supports for EL students.
• Indiana Career Apprenticeship Program (INCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINCAP is a new education pathway that Region 8 ESC is actively promoting. Region 8 coordinates INCAP programs, connecting students with apprenticeship opportunities across industries including Advanced Manufacturing, Logistics, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Construction, Hospitality and Culinary, IT, and Banking and Insurance.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Indiana Department of Education: State education agency that oversees Indiana's ESC system, sets policy priorities (e.g., Science of Reading, INCAP pathways), and channels state funding. Operates in the same K-12 ecosystem but as regulator/funder rather than direct service provider.

Broad incumbents

• PowerSchool: K-12 education technology platform that operates the SmartFind Express substitute management system used by Region 8's SubAssign product. Also offers broader student information systems and HR/payroll that compete with cooperative-distributed services.
• Frontline Education: Large for-profit vendor of substitute management (Frontline Absence Management, a competitor to Region 8's SmartFind Express-based SubAssign) and K-12 administrative software. Competes for the same district contracts that Region 8's cooperative serves.
• Board of Cooperative Educational Services (NYSED BOCES): New York state's network of 37 regional BOCES that deliver shared educational services to component school districts. Operates an identical cooperative service model but at a much larger statewide scale, covering instructional services, special education, and cooperative purchasing.

Direct peers

• Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC): Indiana regional ESC that manages the Educational Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (ECPA) used by Region 8. Operates the same cooperative model serving member districts with shared services, professional development, and cooperative purchasing.
• Education Service Center Region 1 (Texas): Texas regional ESC providing the same cooperative model — shared services, professional development, cooperative purchasing, and substitute management — to school districts in the Texas Education Service Center network.
• ESC of Indiana: Statewide coordinating body for Indiana's regional Education Service Centers. Region 8 explicitly participates in ESC of Indiana's partnerships, and the two organizations share a mutual collaboration relationship on program development and statewide initiatives.
• Educational Service Unit (ESU) - Nebraska: Nebraska's 17 regional ESUs provide cooperative educational services — professional development, special education support, and shared programs — to member school districts, mirroring the Indiana ESC model structurally.
• Northern Indiana Educational Service Center (NIESC): Indiana regional ESC referenced directly in Region 8's food service co-op partnership. Operates the same regional cooperative model serving school districts with shared services across Northern Indiana.
• Wilson Education Service Center: Indiana regional ESC that runs IAESC Procurement, a cooperative purchasing platform Region 8 offers alongside ECPA. Operates the same Indiana ESC model with member districts and shared services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Region 8 Education Service Center of Northeast Indiana