About Us

ESC sign

Pickaway County Educational Service Center

Formed on June 13, 1914, the Pickaway County Educational Service Center, formerly the Pickaway County Board of Education, has been making a difference in Pickaway County’s schools for over 95 years. 

ESCs were established through an act of the Ohio General Assembly.  The law created 88 “County School Districts” and charged them with the task of “elevating the state’s system of education to a proper standard.” This effort entailed county office staff members drafting courses of study for school systems, providing in-service training for teachers and assuring quality classroom instruction through supervision and evaluation.

Service is Our Purpose:  An Evolution

The role of the county offices of education evolved and expanded over the next several decades.  In the 1930’s, they began assisting districts with fiscal and purchasing services; later in the 1960’s, their responsibilities expanded again as they began operating special education programs and increased professional development and technical assistance for schools.

In 1995, Am. Sub. H.B. 117 changed the role of the “County School Districts” by redefining their responsibilities, and renaming them “Educational Service Center” – a statutory name change intended to reflect the evolving nature of ESC programs and services. 

A Vital Component of Ohio’s Educational System

ESCs are a vital and necessary component of Ohio’s educational system.  Am. Sub. H.B. 115 of the 127th General Assembly created the Ohio Educational Regional Service System and positioned ESCs to serve as the conduit and delivery system for Ohio’s statewide school improvement and education reform efforts. Under the new law, ESCs must implement state or federally funded initiatives assigned to the service centers by the General Assembly or the Ohio Department of Education.

Who is Served by the Pickaway County ESC?

All four Pickaway County school districts – Logan Elm Local, Teays Valley Local, Westfall Local, and Circleville City –  receive services from PCESC.

Below is a partial listing of services, positions and programs currently offered through the Pickaway County ESC:

  • Licensure of professionals and aides

  • BCII / FBI background checks

  • Alternative school

  • Special education

    •    Supervision

    •    Occupational Therapy

    •    Speech Language Pathology

    •    Psychology

    •    Behavioral specialist

  • Curriculum

    •   Supervision

    •   Course of Study development

    •   Textbook studies

  • Preschool

    •   Coordination

    •   Identification and testing

  • Professional development

    •   Educational Impact

    •   Master Teacher

    •   Teacher Residency (Entry Year
      Teacher)

    •   District / county need-specific topics

    •   Workshops

  • Pre-service training for bus drivers
    throughout an 11-county region

  • English as a Second Language (ESL)
    tutoring

  • After-school aides

  • Extended school year summer program

Elected Board Ensures Proper Public Oversight and Accountability

Keeping with the tradition of maintaining local control of public schools, the Pickaway County Educational Service Center operates under the oversight of a locally-elected Governing Board. The day-to-day operations of PCESC is conducted through the superintendent, treasurer, and other personnel.

The PCESC Governing Board consists of Dan Litzinger, Karen Karshner, Bethany Reid, Jon Saxton and Dale Thomas.

ESCs, Defined in State and Federal Law as School Districts, are Public Education Agencies

ESCs are grounded in state and federal law.  ESCs are defined as school districts under section 3311.05 of the Ohio Revised Code, and in federal statute are defined in the Higher Education Act (HEA), Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) as such, “(A) – The term ‘local educational agency’ means a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary school. (D) The term includes educational agencies and consortia of those agencies.”

ESC Funding

As public agencies, ESCs receive some state funding to support operations. Despite their public and not-for-profit status, ESCs are unable to generate funds through taxation.  Each ESC depends on revenues from contracted delivery of services to districts of competition for public dollars and/or grant funds as their primary source of revenue.
*    Source and permission for use of the material received from: 

            Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA)
      
       For more information regarding ESCs, visit the Ohio Educational Service  
          Center Association’s Web site at http://www.oesca.org/