A SHORT HISTORY

The Association of California County Boards of Education (ACCBE) is a newly established nonprofit organization founded by county board trustees. It builds on and enhances over six decades of dedicated service to county boards of education and our trustees previously provided by the California County Boards of Education (CCBE). Today, ACCBE serves as the unified voice for all California county boards of education, focusing solely on matters important to them. ACCBE advocates for the unique needs of students and the county offices of education that support them 

The Role of County Boards of Education is Unique 

County offices and boards of education hold uniquely vital roles, impacting every school and student across California. Our responsibilities include supporting students and families facing significant challenges, such as those in programs for students with severe physical and cognitive disabilities, early childhood education, foster and homeless youth, and court and community schools. Our responsibilities are distinct from those of district boards of education, and in some cases, the priorities of county boards do not align with those of other educational associations. ACCBE provides a singular voice for its members, advocating exclusively through the lens of county boards. With only 58 county boards compared to more than 1,000 school district boards in California, an organization solely dedicated to county boards and the offices of education they serve is essential to ensure our unique needs are recognized and addressed. 

ACCBE was Created in 2024 to Continue the Legacy of CCBE in Supporting County Boards 

ACCBE was officially formed in 2024, building on the legacy of the California County Boards of Education (CCBE), which operated as a section of the California School Boards Association (CSBA) from 1959 until 2023. CCBE had its own elected board, set its own dues, created its own programming, and recruited and appointed its members to CCBE-created committees. Over its long history, CCBE achieved significant milestones, including elevating the voice of county boards, fostering collaboration among county trustees, delivering high-quality training for new and experienced trustees, and hosting an outstanding annual conference that addressed key issues and challenges faced by county boards of education. Recent accomplishments include providing critical advocacy that resulted in $80 million of additional, ongoing funding for county offices of education in the 2023-24 budget and publishing the new Trustee Handbook, the most comprehensive guide to county trustee roles, responsibilities, and authority.

In November of 2023, the California School Boards Association discontinued CCBE as a section of its organization and instead created a new "delegate region" comprised of county delegates. CSBA then appointed a transition team of 13 county trustees to work with CSBA staff to recommend county member services to the CSBA board. In December 2024, the CSBA Board of Directors voted on these recommendations and outlined the services it would continue to provide to county boards and trustees. Seven of the recommendations were supported as is, and eleven were modified or substantially changed.

As an organization, CSBA must balance the interests of 58 county boards with those of 1,000 school districts. CSBA is a large organization with long standing structures and systems regarding appointments, committee assignments, board decision-making, and legislative advocacy.

ACCBE – For County Boards by County Board Members: Building Partnerships and Coalitions in Support of Public Education 

CSBA is a very important and influential advocate for public education. ACCBE supports the work of CSBA and encourages our members to also be members of CSBA. However, it is clear that county boards of education need a strong, independent, and agile organization that solely focuses on our needs and interests, independently advocating for the critical needs of the students and communities we serve and the unique role of county boards in the educational ecosystem. Having a separate organization for county boards mirrors the roles of the Small School District Association, California County Superintendents, and the California Parent Teacher Association, whose missions focus on their distinct interest groups. County board members from throughout California worked together throughout 2024, first to create a planning committee and then to incorporate the founding board of ACCBE as a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit. The founding board members of ACCBE have a deep commitment to and statewide experience in serving the needs of county boards. Seven of ACCBE’s founders were also members of CSBA’s Transition Work Group with five now serving on ACCBE Board, reinforcing their appreciation of the work of CSBA while fully supporting ACCBE as a much-needed independent voice for county boards of education. 

ACCBE’s Commitment 

ACCBE is committed to ensuring that the needs of county boards of education, trustees, and county offices are effectively represented in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. ACCBE is further committed to providing county board trustees with an organization in which they have a strong sense of ownership, member-to-member support, and mentoring, focused solely on the interests and needs of county offices of education and the students and families they serve. ACCBE is dedicated to building a strong and ongoing partnership with the California County Superintendents, as well as forming coalitions with other educational organizations in support of the needs of our members and public education.