In 1965, Texas was focused on ensuring schools would have the necessary tools to teach its young scholars. The 59th state legislature set aside $1.7 billion of their $3.65 billion two-year budget, or 46 percent, for education. Monies allocated that year to the Foundation School Fund during that session were made available at the onset of the 1967-1968 school year which provided for 20 regional instructional media centers, now called Education Service Centers (ESCs), to be established across the state. Central Texas' Education Service Center Region 12 is celebrating 40 years of commitment and quality service to its school districts, educators and students.
Originally authorized by Senate Bill 408 in 1965, the centers gave continuity to school districts to provide better purchasing power and distribution of educational materials. In addition, a lending library service was set up to provide all schools with educational motion picture films, film strips, recordings, tapes, programmed instruction and other similar materials. The centers offered duplicating services for some of the resources, and provided professional consultation for effective and efficient use of them.
While technology has changed and budget cuts have occurred in recent years, ESC Region 12 strives to continue providing those services and many more as the needs of the regional schools it serves grow. Today, it also offers an array of quality educational support services in the form of conferences and training in educational technology opportunities, curriculum, instruction and assessment, special education services and school support programs, as well as educator preparation and certification, principal certification and award-winning videoconferencing and distance learning services.
ESC Region 12 employs 158 full and part-time employees committed to continuous quality improvement and enhancement of the programs they provide to the educators, parents and students in the 77 school districts, 11 charter schools and 12 counties they serve; Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, Limestone, Mills, McLennan and Navarro. ESC Region 12 also is an ISO 9001:2000 certified center. The certification is an internationally recognized quality management system standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Since moving to its current location in 1994, ESC Region 12 has opened five satellite sites in Central Texas to provide convenient locations for professional development training throughout the region. To keep up with the needs of its school districts, the main office at Highway 6 and Bagby Ave. was recently expanded by 20,000 feet.
"As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we are excited to complete the expansion and offer more opportunities under one central location for area educators," Tom Norris, ESC Region 12 executive director, said.
The expansion provides eight meeting rooms, four of which can be combined into one large room to accommodate up to 400 people. One room is a large computer lab and another is devoted to the Texas Education Telecommunications Network (TETN), where many educators meet to attend statewide and regional events made available through videoconferencing technologies. The center's human resource department, business office and alternative teacher and principal certification programs are located in the new building.
On any given week, the center holds dozens of trainings which attract hundreds and sometimes thousands of area educators to the center. In the last year alone, the center trained or delivered services to more than 35,000 educators, parents and students. In addition to the building expansion, a new parking lot was built behind the service center to accommodate the increased parking needs.
ESC Region 12 is planning a grand opening for later this year to celebrate 40 years of offering quality services in support of educators and the schools to develop the full potential of all its students. The new building wing will be dedicated to the three former center executive directors.
More information about upcoming events, conferences and programs at ESC Region 12 is available at www.esc12.net, or by calling 254-297-1212.
