The Role of County Boards of Education Is Unique

Join Now: All the information you need is on this website. Membership in ACCBE is open to all fifty-eight county boards of education. Many county boards are taking a formal board action to join ACCBE. A sample resolution is available here. Board action is not required, so you may also email us your interest in joining and we will send you a membership invitation or invoice.

If you have questions, please contact ACCBE’s Board President Bina Lefkovitz by emailing president@ACCBE.org and she or another member of the ACCBE Board of Directors will contact you. We are also available to present in person or via Zoom at your board meeting. Information about ACCBE dues is discussed below.

The dues structure for ACCBE will are determined collaboratively with the Board of Directors. We are using the 2023-24 voluntary CCBE dues as a starting point. This dues structure is based on county class and was approved by the CCBE board in 2022 with input from CCBE members. A survey of county board members by ACCBE indicated that most people agreed with this methodology for ACCBE’s first year. The ACCBE Board will be gathering information and engaging in discussions to determine the dues level needed for 2026 and beyond to support the advocacy and member benefits our community requires. We are also seeking grants and sponsorships to help keep dues as low as possible.  Click here for the dues amount for a county board as well as the county’s overall budget and the percent of the total COE budget the dues amount represent.

County boards of education need a strong, independent voice to advocate for the critical needs of students, communities we serve. County offices and boards of education play uniquely vital roles, impacting every school, and student across California. Our responsibilities encompass supporting students and families facing significant challenges, including 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 differ greatly from those of district boards of education. Sometimes our interests are not aligned with other educational associations, in these situations ACCBE gives our members voice looking solely through a lens of County Boards. With only 58 county boards and over 1,000 school districts boards, an organization solely dedicated to advocating on behalf of county boards and offices of education is essential to ensure our unique needs are represented.

Yes, establishing ACCBE brings a unified, strong voice representing the unique interests of county boards on issues impacting County Offices of Education. ACCBE will advocate for the needs of students we serve, often those facing significant challenges, ensuring these needs are not overlooked in the legislative process. As a dedicated advocate for County Boards of Education, ACCBE will educate legislators and policy makers about what we do, who we serve and our needs. Plus join other educational organizations to champion public schools and adequate funding.

Absolutely. While county boards of education and county superintendents have distinct duties, they must collaborate to align county office activities with programs, services, and the needs of students and educators. ACCBE Is currently creating open lines of communication with the California County Superintendents in order to enhance advocacy efforts, identify needs and promoting effective, innovative solutions. Supportive and collaborative conversations with county superintendents are also occurring throughout the state and we look forward to working with the California County Superintendents.

Please complete the interest form on our website under JOIN/GET INVOLVED. You can volunteer to mentor a newer board member, or you can join a committee. Committees include advocacy, membership and programming/professional development. If you have specific skills like grant writing, web design or technology skills, strategic planning, advocacy, training and facilitation, other skills and expertise, please share with us so we can leverage the many assets our members bring.