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Warren – The Trumbull County Educational Service Center has once again be recognized as a High-Performing Educational Service Center by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The designation highlights the continued value ESCs provide to local school districts through shared services, professional support and cost-effective programming, according to a news release from the RSC.
"We are extremely proud to once again receive the High-Performing ESC designation," said Robert Marino, Superintendent of the Trumbull County Educational Service Center. "This recognition is a reflection of the dedication of our educators and staff and the quality of support we provide to our local school districts. Most importantly, it represents our continued commitment to supporting the educators who serve our students and providing opportunities and resources that help students throughout Trumbull County succeed."
This is the 11th straight year that all of Ohio's 51 Educational Service Centers applied for and received the High-Performing ESC designation from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. To achieve the annual High-Performing ESC designation, an ESC must demonstrate total cost savings of at least 5% across five ESC-selected primary services for its client school districts, compared with the cost of districts providing those services themselves or purchasing them from another provider, a news release from ODEW states.
Ohio's ESCs substantially exceeded that benchmark, reporting statewide savings of 35.87% in Fiscal Year 2026, based on data submitted for the fiscal year 2027 designation cycle. This represents more than $107.13 million in annual savings across just the five services selected by each ESC for its application – more than seven times the required savings threshold.
"Once again, Ohio's educational service centers demonstrate how they provide their client schools and districts with exceptional services at reasonable costs," said Craig Burford, executive director of the Ohio ESC Association (OESCA).
"These results reflect the value of shared services and regional collaboration. Across the 10 application years documented in our current data, ESCs have reported more than $849.5 million in savings to school districts – and that captures only the services included in these applications," Burford added. "Now more than ever, policymakers should recognize this sustained fiscal value and find additional ways to leverage the ESC network to support Ohio's schools and students."
For the latest application cycle, ESCs reported charges of approximately $191.55 million for selected services that would otherwise have cost districts approximately $298.68 million to provide themselves or purchase from another provider. The difference represents resources districts can direct toward other educational priorities, the release states.
The Trumbull County ESC represents all 20 school districts in Trumbull County.