How the Commission Began

The Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) was founded in 1977 as the Middlesex County Educational Services Commission. The organization was established in response to Public Law 192-193, which required public schools to provide textbook and transportation services to nonpublic school students—a mandate that made a compelling case for county-wide cooperation.

What began as a service to a handful of Middlesex County districts has grown into New Jersey's largest Educational Services Commission. By 2005, relationships with 75 districts across 11 counties led to a name change to the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission. Continued expansion into all 21 counties prompted another renaming in 2016 to our current name.

Today, ESCNJ serves over 700 school districts and municipalities statewide. We operate six schools for students ages 3-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, and behavioral needs; coordinate transportation for approximately 6,000 students; and manage the state's largest Cooperative Pricing System with over 1,500 members.