Dr. Tom Sharp

In 1963 Nebraska passed legislation which created the Interlocal Cooperation Act. This act allows all political subdivisions, including Nebraska school districts, to form interlocal cooperative agreements which are mutually beneficial to all parties involved. This multi-site case study investigated 17 diverse interlocal cooperative agreements which were operational for the 2001--2002 school year in selected Nebraska school districts. Investigative questions focused on why interlocal cooperative agreements were implemented, how they impacted the operational procedures, and how they affected educational opportunities. Themes emerged from the participants' telling of their stories. Aside from the known non-emergent theme concerning the expenditure lid exemption, this case study produced five major emergent core themes: "Other Cooperatives," "Cultivating Trust," "Community Endearment," "Discriminating Partnerships," and "Boundless Potential." Based upon the data, the researcher concluded: (a) interlocal cooperative agreements were highly utilized in both frequency and diversity, (b) benefits generated through the implementation of interlocal cooperative agreements were genuine and numerous, and (c) organizational considerations should be considered at the inception of the interlocal cooperative agreement.