Dive Brief:

• The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC) is a network of 19 Appalachian school districts working together to score better deals on tech goods and services that may be too expensive if they were purchased independently.
• In 2014, KVEC received $30 million in a multi-year Race to the Top grant, which the 19 districts are splitting for blended learning purposes.
• The group is currently pushing to get a 1:1 model going in all 19 districts.

Dive Insight:

The idea of the collective, which started over 40 years ago "to gain economies of scale when purchasing goods and services," is one that other small districts should consider, says eSchool News. Of course, getting 19 districts on the same page is tough, but the reality is that much of the tech and resources would be a pipe dream without banding together.