Cooperative Link: Winter 2008

The Minnesota Service Cooperatives:
Working Together in the Spirit of Cooperation

The Minnesota Service Cooperatives (MSC), formerly known as the Minnesota Regional Service Agency (MRSA) has retaken the name issued to them in 2001 by the state in a Joint Exercise of Powers Act. The Minnesota Service Cooperatives is a joint powers organization made up of eight of the service cooperatives in the state. (The following cooperatives are members of MSC: Lakes Country Service Cooperative, Metro ECSU, Northeast Service Cooperative, Northwest Service Cooperative, Resource Training & Solutions, South Central Service Cooperative, Southeast Service Cooperative, and SW/WC Service Cooperative.) MSC performs planning on a statewide basis and assists in meeting specific needs of clients in participating governmental units which could be better provided by a service cooperative than by members themselves.

Since 1967, Minnesota school districts have been participating in formalized cooperative efforts. The concept of cooperative educational programs and services spread rapidly as educational costs escalated and the need for more efficient uses of resources became imperative.

In 1975 legislation was again introduced to establish regional cooperative units. Finally, in February 1976, a bill was enacted to authorize establishment of nine regional units to be called Educational Cooperative Service Units (ECSUs, pronounced “X-sue”). In 1995 the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill that would change the name of the Educational Cooperative Service Units to Service Cooperatives (SCs). The purpose of this change was to better clarify and encourage an expanded customer base due to 1992 legislation.

The purpose of the Joint Powers is to provide for the creation and operation of an organization known as The Minnesota Service Cooperatives, through which the parties may jointly and cooperatively:




SCSC News Calendar of Events *Programs and Services* Accounting Briefs / AYP-Student Improvement / News from the Center for Academic Excellence / Cooperative Purchasing / Health and Safety / SOCRATES / Special Education / Wellness Program *Student Enrichment Programs* Chess Tournament / Fine Arts Conference / Knowledge Bowl / Minnesota Student Inventors Congress / Young Writer's Conference Winter 2008 Issue Home Page Previous Issues of Cooperative Link Return to SCSC Home Page	SOUTH CENTRAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE The Minnesota Service Cooperatives: Working Together in the Spirit of Cooperation The Minnesota Service Cooperatives (MSC), formerly known as the Minnesota Regional Service Agency (MRSA) has retaken the name issued to them in 2001 by the state in a Joint Exercise of Powers Act. The Minnesota Service Cooperatives is a joint powers organization made up of eight of the service cooperatives in the state. (The following cooperatives are members of MSC: Lakes Country Service Cooperative, Metro ECSU, Northeast Service Cooperative, Northwest Service Cooperative, Resource Training & Solutions, South Central Service Cooperative, Southeast Service Cooperative, and SW/WC Service Cooperative.) MSC performs planning on a statewide basis and assists in meeting specific needs of clients in participating governmental units which could be better provided by a service cooperative than by members themselves. Since 1967, Minnesota school districts have been participating in formalized cooperative efforts. The concept of cooperative educational programs and services spread rapidly as educational costs escalated and the need for more efficient uses of resources became imperative. In 1975 legislation was again introduced to establish regional cooperative units. Finally, in February 1976, a bill was enacted to authorize establishment of nine regional units to be called Educational Cooperative Service Units (ECSUs, pronounced “X-sue”). In 1995 the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill that would change the name of the Educational Cooperative Service Units to Service Cooperatives (SCs). The purpose of this change was to better clarify and encourage an expanded customer base due to 1992 legislation. The purpose of the Joint Powers is to provide for the creation and operation of an organization known as The Minnesota Service Cooperatives, through which the parties may jointly and cooperatively: Identify and analyze service opportunities and needs for our members Provide advice to state policy makers on the needs, priorities, and system of accountability for local education programs and other governmental agencies Facilitate interagency collaboration in the delivery of programs Develop policy to fit service needs and issues Next SCSC News Article: SCSC Board News	This newsletter is also available as an Acrobat PDF (4.0 MB) Free Acrobat Reader required for viewing.