South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative

What South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative does

South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative (SCKSEC) is a non-profit public education cooperative headquartered in Pratt, Kansas, providing specialized special education and related services to 15 member school districts across 7 counties in South Central Kansas. Founded in 1971, growing from the 1968 ESEA Title III Project BEST, the cooperative employs 400+ staff (up from 44 at founding) and serves approximately 1,400 students annually with services that include speech-language therapy, occupational and physical therapy, school psychology, nursing, behavioral support, autism services, adapted physical education, gifted education, early childhood programming, transition and life skills services, and visually impaired services delivered through a partnership with the Kansas State School for the Blind.

The service architecture is built around shared facilities and itinerant staff models rather than a proprietary technology platform. Core facilities include the Haskins Learning Center and Haskins Day School, complemented by distributed Life Skills classrooms. Technology infrastructure is assembled from established third-party vendors: Skyward serves as the shared student information system, Google Workspace provides productivity and collaboration, Securly handles WiFi content filtering, Frontline manages HR/absence workflows, and Workbright/Applitrack support hiring; instructional delivery uses Lexia, Reading Plus, Odysseyware, and Symphony Math, with WebKIDSS supporting Kansas special education compliance reporting.

Revenue is generated through member district cooperative contributions combined with state and federal special education allocations, including IDEA pass-through funding and Kansas special education categorical aid. The cooperative is governed by a board drawn from member districts, with no private equity, venture, or individual ownership. Leadership consists of Director of Special Education Dr. Meagan Etheridge, Assistant Directors Ellen McCloskey and Topaz Krehbiel, and Haskins Day School Principal Jason Marciano.

Name

South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative

Legal name

South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative

Website

https://scksec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative is a Pratt, Kansas-based nonprofit public education cooperative founded in 1971 that delivers specialized special education and related services to approximately 1,400 students across 15 member school districts in 7 South Central Kansas counties using 400+ shared staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialized Instruction & Resource Support (Inclusion, Pull-Out, Co-Teaching) (EDAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Special education cooperative
• School therapy services
• Special needs instruction
• Educational support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pratt

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Member District Cooperative Contributions: As a special education cooperative, SCKSEC is funded through contributions from member school districts. Districts pay into the cooperative to access specialized special education services including therapists, psychologists, and specialized instruction. Funding also derives from state and federal special education allocations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SCKSEC is a Kansas public education cooperative that delivers shared special education and related services to 15 member public school districts across 7 counties in South Central Kansas, providing academic instruction, therapies (occupational, physical, speech/language), school psychology, behavior support, autism support, nursing, assistive technology, transition, gifted education, and early childhood services to approximately 1,400 eligible students annually. It operates dedicated facilities including the Haskins Learning Center behavior day school in Pratt and Life Skills classrooms at Kingman and Medicine Lodge, and is funded through member district contributions plus state and federal special education allocations.

Product overview

SCKSEC operates as a special education cooperative offering a unified portfolio of programs and services across 15 member school districts in South Central Kansas. The organization provides comprehensive special education support through its core programs including Academic Curriculum and Instruction, Assistive Technology, Behavior Support, and various therapeutic services (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language). The cooperative also operates specialized facilities such as the Haskins Learning Center for intensive behavior support and Life Skills Programs at Kingman and Medicine Lodge locations. Services span from Early Childhood intervention through Transition Services, supporting students with diverse needs including autism, visual/hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and behavioral challenges. The organization utilizes integrated learning software platforms including Lexia, Reading Plus, Odysseyware, and Symphony Math to supplement instructional delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Curriculum and Instruction Support Core instructional support program providing curriculum development and academic instruction services for students with special needs across SCKSEC member districts.
• Adaptive Physical Education (APE) Diversified program of developmental activities, games, sports, and rhythms designed to meet the motor and physical education needs of students with disabilities served through SCKSEC.
• Assistive Technology Provides technology tools, devices, and resources to help students with disabilities access education and improve functional capabilities, supported through the Infinitec platform.
• Autism Support Interdisciplinary team support providing specialized services and coaching for students with autism spectrum disorders served by SCKSEC member districts.
• Behavior Support Comprehensive behavior intervention program offering Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), coaching specialists, and tier two evidence-based interventions.
• Early Childhood Special Education Early intervention program for young children with developmental delays, including coordination, social work, and transition support services.
• Gifted Education Identification process and educational services for gifted students requiring specialized instructional approaches within SCKSEC member districts.
• Life Skills Programs Functional life skills instruction at dedicated sites (Kingman Life Skills and Medicine Lodge Life Skills) helping students with significant disabilities develop independent living capabilities.
• Multi-Disciplinary Support Team (MST) Collaborative team providing comprehensive evaluation and support services for students with complex educational needs across member districts.
• Nursing Services Health support services for medically fragile students, including CPR, seizure, and First Aid training for staff across SCKSEC.
• Occupational Therapy (OT) Therapeutic services improving students' fine motor skills and addressing sensory processing needs across member districts.
• Physical Therapy (PT) Therapeutic services focused on gross motor skills development and improving students' access to the school environment.
• School Psychology Psychological assessment, consultation, and support services for students' educational and behavioral needs across SCKSEC member districts.
• Speech and Language Services Speech-language pathology services addressing communication disorders and supporting students' speech and language development.
• Visually Impaired Services Services including orientation and mobility training, concept development instruction, and direct services from Teacher of the Visually Impaired, contracted through Kansas State School for the Blind.
• Haskins Learning Center Day School Behavior day school program providing intensive behavioral support with dedicated principal, behavior support teachers, and school psychologist, located at 900 School Street, Pratt, KS.
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Specialized instruction in language development, speech reading, and auditory training for hard of hearing students, with consultation and advocacy services across SCKSEC member districts.
• Transition Services Programs supporting students' transition from school to post-school activities including employment, further education, and independent living.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grown from serving 120 students in 1971 to serving 1400 students currently
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kansas State School for the BlindcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCKSEC contracts with Kansas State School for the Blind to provide Orientation and Mobility Services for students with visual impairments. Aakash Ravichandran serves as the Teacher of the Visually Impaired and coordinates these contracted services.
• Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCKSEC operates under KSDE regulations for special education services. The cooperative aligns with state standards for IEP documentation, Parent Rights notifications, and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). KSDE provides the regulatory framework within which SCKSEC delivers services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Stride Learning (formerly K12 Inc): Online K-12 learning provider with special education capability (including Destinations Career Academy and K12-powered virtual special education programs). Comparable in serving students with IEPs but offers an alternative delivery model (virtual) versus SCKSEC's itinerant/on-site approach — a potential substitute or complement.
• PresenceLearning (now part of Tieg): Provider of teletherapy, tele-assessment, and virtual school psychology services. Comparable in addressing the same therapist and psychologist shortage pain points SCKSEC solves via its itinerant staffing model, but via virtual delivery — potential complement or disruptor to SCKSEC's on-site service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Specialized Education Services Inc (SESI): Operates private day schools and provides special education staffing/support services for districts. Comparable in delivering specialized programs for students with behavioral and developmental needs; functions as a broader private-sector counterpart to SCKSEC's Haskins Learning Center.
• Catapult Learning: Nationwide private provider of special education, intervention, and related services to K-12 schools. Directly comparable in service mix (special education staffing, therapy, intervention) but operates at vastly broader scale and serves districts via direct contracts rather than the cooperative/board-governance model.
• ChanceLight Behavioral Health and Education: National provider of behavioral health, social-emotional, and special education services to K-12 districts. Comparable in clinical and behavioral programming to SCKSEC's Behavior Support, Autism Support, and Haskins programs; broader geographic reach and contract-based model rather than cooperative governance.

Others

• TherapyTravelers (Pioneer Healthcare Services): National staffing company placing school-based OTs, PTs, and SLPs. Comparable as a supplier of the itinerant therapy staff SCKSEC employs under its cooperative model — represents an alternative sourcing model member districts might consider shifting toward.

Regional players

• Educational Service Unit 1 (ESU 1): Nebraska educational service unit providing special education and related services to member districts in a regional shared-services model. Highly comparable structurally and in service mix to SCKSEC, but operates in a different state under different statutory framework.

Direct peers

• Greenbush Education Service Center: Southeast Kansas educational service center providing shared special education, technology, and professional development services to member districts. Operates on the same cooperative/shared-services philosophy as SCKSEC and delivers directly comparable special education programming.
• Northeast Kansas Special Education Cooperative: Yet another Kansas special education cooperative. Directly comparable model and services, organized under Kansas law to pool member-district resources for special education staffing and programming — most direct structural peer to SCKSEC.
• Northwest Kansas Special Education Cooperative: Another Kansas special education cooperative serving member districts under the same statutory framework. Directly comparable in structure, governance, funding model, and program portfolio to SCKSEC — parallel regional cooperative operating in a different Kansas region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/scksec
• Xx.com/scksec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-central-kansas-special-education-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative