North Carolina School Boards Association

Name

North Carolina School Boards Association

Legal name

North Carolina School Boards Association

Website

https://ncsba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

Keywords

• School board governance
• Education advocacy services
• Board member training
• Policy management services
• Superintendent search services

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Member-driven association representing local boards of education in North Carolina. School districts pay membership fees to access services, training, legal resources, policy services, and advocacy representation.
2. Training and Event Fees: Revenue from training programs including LEAD Training ($59 per session), Academy of School Boardsmanship, Law Conferences, and other professional development offerings for board members and administrators.
3. Partner Affiliation Program: Business Affiliates & Partners in Education Program offering membership levels (Premier, Classic, Affiliate) that provide companies exposure to educational decision makers across North Carolina.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NCSBA is a member-driven nonprofit professional association founded in 1937 that provides advocacy, governance training, legal services, policy management, superintendent search services, and risk management to local boards of education across North Carolina. It operates digital platforms including Simbli (policy management), Policies to Lead the Schools (PLS), and an Online Superintendent Search System, and delivers programs such as the Master Board Program, LEAD Training, Law Conferences, and the Annual Conference to its member districts.

Product overview

NCSBA operates as a membership organization providing a portfolio of services to North Carolina school boards rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include governance training programs (Master Board Program, LEAD Training, Academy of School Boardsmanship), advocacy services (Legislative Updates, Governmental Relations), legal services (Education Law in NC, NCCOSA), policy management (Policies to Lead the Schools), superintendent search services, and risk management (NCSBT). Additional offerings include The Board Table Podcast, student contests, and annual awards. The association also facilitates connections to third-party platforms including Simbli for governance management and Access PLS for policy services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Board Table Podcast: Official podcast of NCSBA featuring knowledge, insights, and stories to equip local education leaders, parents, and anyone with a stake in public education.

Products and services

• Master Board Program A knowledge- and skills-based governance training and certification program for school boards, offering Level I (20 hours) and Level II (40 hours) certifications. Designed for North Carolina school boards seeking structured professional development.
• LEAD Training (Leadership Education and Development) Regional leadership training sessions delivered in partnership with eight regional education service alliances across North Carolina, priced at $59 per session, for board members and district administrators.
• Academy of School Boardsmanship Recognition Recognition program for board members completing comprehensive training in school boardsmanship and governance practices.
• NCSBA Annual Conference Annual gathering of North Carolina school board members featuring leadership elections, awards ceremonies, keynote speakers, and professional development sessions.
• Legal Services Comprehensive legal support for member districts including the Education Law in NC (ELNC) database, Law Conferences and Legal Webinars, Legal/Policy Staff consultation, and the NC Council of School Attorneys (NCCOSA).
• Superintendent Search Service A nationwide exposure search process for North Carolina school districts seeking new superintendents, supported by an Online Superintendent Search System.
• Policy Services (Policies to Lead the Schools / PLS) Policy management services including the PLS policy manual platform, policy manual customization, and online web hosting services for school districts.
• NCSBT (North Carolina School Boards Trust) Risk Management Risk management and insurance services for school boards with over 40 years of experience serving North Carolina public schools.
• Legislative Advocacy and Updates Legislative representation before the North Carolina General Assembly plus regular legislative updates, alerts, legislative agenda, and issue briefs covering education policy developments.
• Summer Leadership Conference Summer governance and leadership training event for North Carolina school board members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Martin County Schools graduation rates increased from 68% to 80% through CTE pathway program supported by NCSBA recognition and resources
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered affiliate partner, core partner and premier partner.

• ConnectEDaffiliate partnerOthersNCSBA Affiliate Partner providing services or resources to North Carolina school districts through the Partner Affiliation Program
• BuyBoardaffiliate partnerOthersNCSBA Affiliate Partner providing purchasing cooperative services to North Carolina school districts through the Partner Affiliation Program
• Fairbanksaffiliate partnerOthersNCSBA Affiliate Partner. Fairbanks LLC sponsors cash prizes for student contests including $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second place, and $1,000 for third place in the high school video contest
• Hennes Communicationsaffiliate partnerOthersNCSBA Affiliate Partner providing communication services to North Carolina school districts through the Partner Affiliation Program
• Simbli by eBOARDsolutionscore partnerTechnology or IntegrationNCSBA Simbli site provides policy management and governance solutions for member school boards. Platform offers policy services and meeting management tools
• TharringtonSmithpremier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner law firm providing legal services to education clients in North Carolina
• BuilderServicespremier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner providing services to North Carolina school districts
• SECU (State Employees' Credit Union)premier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner providing financial services partnership for North Carolina school districts and educators
• LS3Ppremier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner architecture/engineering firm providing services to North Carolina school districts
• NCEL (NC Association of County Commissioners/North Carolina Elected Leaders)premier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner organization supporting local government leadership in North Carolina
• RiversideProductspremier partnerOthersNCSBA Premier Partner providing products/services to North Carolina school districts
• Regional Education Service Alliances (CCRESA, WRESA, SEEA, etc.)core partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between eight regional education service alliances and NCSBA to deliver LEAD Training and professional development to local areas across North Carolina

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): Large national education association with state affiliates providing advocacy, training, and professional development. Adjacent to NCSBA in education policy advocacy and member services, but representing educators rather than governance boards.
• eBOARDsolutions (Simbli): Commercial provider of board governance and policy management software used by NCSBA and its member districts. Comparable to NCSBA's Simbli-mediated services but as a for-profit software vendor, with national reach across many state associations.
• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): National association for school superintendents providing leadership training, advocacy, and resources. Comparable to NCSBA in mission but focused on administrators rather than boards, and operating at the national level.

Direct peers

• National School Boards Association: National umbrella organization for school board governance, advocacy, and training. Directly comparable to NCSBA in mission and service lines, but operating at the national level rather than a single state. Provides overlapping training, legal, and advocacy services that compete for member attention.
• New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA): State school board association serving New York districts with policy services, training, advocacy, and superintendent search support. Comparable service portfolio and member-funded business model to NCSBA.
• Florida School Boards Association: Florida's state school board association providing advocacy, training, and policy services to member districts. Closely comparable operating model, customer base, and revenue mix to NCSBA, with a similar annual conference and training program structure.
• Texas Association of School Boards (TASB): Large state-level school board association serving Texas districts with policy services, training, legal, and superintendent search offerings. Highly comparable in scope and service portfolio to NCSBA, just at much larger scale due to Texas's district count.
• California School Boards Association (CSBA): California's state school board association providing governance training, policy services, advocacy, and member resources. Direct structural peer to NCSBA, with overlapping product lines including GAMUT policy platform, training programs, and legislative advocacy.
• Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA): Georgia's state school board association offering governance training, policy services, advocacy, and an annual convention. Nearest geographic peer to NCSBA and a strong structural and operational comparison.

Regional players

• North Carolina Association of School Administrators (NCASA): Adjacent NC-based professional association for school superintendents and administrators. Comparable governance training and advocacy mission, but serves administrators rather than board members, creating overlap in legislative advocacy and professional development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ncsba
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ncschoolboards
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCSchoolBoardsAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-carolina-school-boards-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina School Boards Association