Regional Educational Service Agencies are Georgia's secret weapon for school success— 16 collaborative hubs where districts share resources, expertise, and innovation.
Picture this: Georgia has over 180 school districts, each working hard to serve their students. But what if smaller districts could access the same resources as larger ones? What if neighboring districts could pool their expertise instead of reinventing the wheel?
That's exactly why the Georgia General Assembly established Regional Educational Service Agencies in law. Think of us as your educational co-op—a shared service center where school systems team up to improve programs, save money, and give every student a fair shot at success.
Georgia is divided into 16 RESA service areas, each serving multiple school districts in their region. First District RESA covers the largest geographical area of any RESA in Georgia, spanning across Southeast Georgia and the Coastal region!
Georgia law says RESAs must provide "shared services to improve the effectiveness of educational programs." Here's what that looks like in action:
Helping schools analyze data, plan for improvement, and meet state standards with confidence.
High-quality training and development opportunities that empower educators to excel in their craft.
Specialized instructional programs delivered directly to students who need them most.
Ongoing support and feedback to ensure continuous improvement across our region.
Every RESA is governed by a Board of Control—made up of the superintendent from each member school district. No state appointees, no outside interests. Just the local leaders who know their communities best, working together to set regional priorities.
This board meets monthly to conduct RESA business, approve budgets, and ensure our services truly meet local needs. They also collaborate with local colleges and libraries to create a complete support system for our region.
RESAs operate on a partnership model: the state provides 80% of base funding, and member districts contribute the remaining 20% based on their size and capacity.
This shared investment ensures every district—big or small—can access high-quality services they couldn't afford alone.
Since 1965, First District RESA has been putting this collaborative model into action across the largest geographical area of any RESA in Georgia. We're not just following the law—we're building relationships, solving problems, and proving that when schools work together, everybody wins.
Explore our vision, governance, and the communities we serve
Whether you're an educator, administrator, or community partner, we're here to support your success. Let's work together.
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