Today, July 1, 2021, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Intermediate Units
IUs became official Pennsylvania school entities on July 1, 1971. Our state system of IUs was developed by the Pennsylvania state legislature in 1970 via the Pennsylvania School Code to replace the 67 county superintendents of schools offices which had existed since the 1850s.
Act 102 created the boundaries for each IU, assigned every school district to an intermediate unit, established a system of governance and a mechanism for funding IUs and identified a broad array of services IUs may provide. Throughout the past 50 years, amendments have been made to the PA School Code that have impacted IU operations.
While each of the 29 intermediate units are unique in both their name and geography, all IUs generally provide programs and services in curriculum and professional development, instructional media, school leadership, special education and technology.
All 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania belong to the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU), a professional association incorporated in 1990. The PAIU Board of Directors is comprised of the Executive Directors from the 29 IUs.
