About Us

East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education provides comprehensive special education services to all eligible students ages 3-21 in the Baldwin, Eudora, and Wellsville School Districts. ECKCE is situated only minutes from Lawrence and less than 50 miles from Kansas City.

ECKCE employs special education teachers, paraprofessionals, school social workers, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, transition specialist, integration specialist, and behavior specialist.

The cooperative promotes an inclusion model with resource rooms available in each building K-12 and early childhood special education classrooms in each district. ECKCE is a member of the Douglas County Tiny-K Early Intervention and Ottawa/Wellsville Early Childhood Coordinating Councils. The councils coordinate services for families of children ages birth to 3, with disabilities, and promote a transition of services to public schools.

2024 Press Release for New SpEd Director

The East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education names Lee Hanson the new Director of Special Education Services starting July 1, 2024.

February 28th, 2024

The Board of the East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education (ECKCE) has announced the selection of Lee Hanson as the new Director. Hanson will officially take the reins on July 1, 2024 after the retirement of the current Director Dan Wray at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

Hanson has an impressive depth and breadth of experience in the field of education, including as a classroom teacher in Baldwin, a Special Education Coordinator in Emporia, and most recently as Director of Special Services in the Desoto School District. Hanson is a long term resident of Baldwin, and ECKCE is proud to “bring her home” to lead our organization into the future.