Three Rivers Special Services Cooperative is an approved program by the South Dakota Department of Education. The cooperative consists of five rural public school districts.  The member districts are:  Bennett County, Jones County, Kadoka Area, Lyman, and White River (see map).  TRSSC is governed by a board consisting of one representatives from each member school district board.

Contact Information:

Three Rivers Special Services Cooperative

PO Box 615

Philip, SD 57567

Office: 605.859.2244 

Executive Director

Dr. Julie Mathiesen  |  email: jmathiesen at trssc dot org

Business Manager

Kathy Arthur  |  email: trssc at gwtc dot net

The business office is located in Philip, South Dakota with staff working at various locations across the region. 

TRSSC History

Three Rivers Special Services Cooperative was formed in 1983, as a legal local entity to provide special assistance to schools and to improve educational programs and services for students with disabilities in the member districts.

Three Rivers offers shared or direct services and support to member districts as requested, flexing to meet current and evolving needs.

The cooperative acts as fiscal agents for various state and federal grants, as requested. Current and previous example include:  Perkins Funding (Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act), 21st Century Community Learning Center out-of-school programming, Birth to Three Early Intervention programming, Education Service Agency (ESA), ENRICH, SD Counts, and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Early Intervention Program. 

The Cooperative employs Learning Specialists to provide services to districts as requested and to fulfil contractual opportunities related to supporting educational services. TRSSC stays nimble and flexible to meet the changing needs of the educational community.