National School Boards Association

What National School Boards Association does

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3)-style membership association founded in 1940 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, that serves as the national federation for state school boards associations and their more than 90,000 local school board members across all 50 states. NSBA's mission is to ensure access to excellent and equitable public education governed by high-performing school board leaders, and it operates specialized councils including the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE, running 59 years) and the Council of School Attorneys (COSA), alongside leadership academies with Howard University and USC Rossier, and a member-only community platform called NSBAConnect.

The organization's core products and services span membership benefits, federal and legal advocacy, professional development, publications, and recognition programs. Flagship offerings include the monthly American School Board Journal (ASBJ), the NSBA Store (e.g., Federal Public School Law Guidebook 2025, 2nd Edition at $150 with a 20% member discount), the annual NatCon conference and CUBE Annual Conference, the Magna Awards, the Center for Public Education research arm, and the recently launched NSBA AI Smart Certification (a CSTA-approved AI literacy course). Technology infrastructure centers on a Higher Logic-powered NSBAConnect community, an e-commerce storefront, and event registration systems rather than proprietary AI/ML or data products.

NSBA's business model combines recurring membership dues from state associations and local boards, conference and event registration/exhibitor/sponsorship revenue, advertising in ASBJ and digital channels, and one-time publication sales. It distributes services through direct membership sales, flagship conferences, the ASBJ subscription, and the NSBA Store, reaching district-level decision-makers including superintendents, administrators, and board members who collectively govern education for approximately 50–51 million U.S. public school students. The association is governed by a Board of Directors elected from its membership and led by Executive Director and CEO Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, with Leonard Lockhart elected 2026-27 President in April 2026.

Name

National School Boards Association

Legal name

National School Boards Association

Website

https://www.nsba.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

National School Boards Association is a non-profit membership federation founded in 1940 that serves state school boards associations and ~90,000 local board members across the United States, providing federal advocacy, professional development, publications, conferences, and recognition programs for public K-12 governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: State school board associations and local school boards pay membership dues to belong to NSBA, gaining access to resources, publications, advocacy support, and member-only community platforms.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Annual Conference (NatCon) and CUBE Annual Conference generate revenue through attendee registration fees, exhibitor fees, and sponsorship sales.
3. Publications and Products Sales: Sale of publications including the Federal Public School Law Guidebook ($150), Becoming a Better Board Member guide, and various educational books and bundles through the NSBA Store.
4. Advertising and Sponsorships: American School Board Journal (ASBJ) and digital marketing channels offer advertising opportunities reaching district-level decision-makers including superintendents, school administrators, and school board members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NSBA is a non-profit membership association that represents state school boards associations and their local school board members across the United States, providing federal advocacy, governance resources, legal publications (such as the Federal Public School Law Guidebook), professional development conferences and academies, the American School Board Journal, the NSBAConnect member community, and recognition programs like the Magna Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Public Education (CPE): NSBA's research arm that publishes reports on public education topics, including student success drivers and instructional materials.
• American School Board Journal (ASBJ)
• Magna Awards
• Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE)
• Council of School Attorneys (COSA)
• NSBA AI Smart Certification

Products and services

• American School Board Journal (ASBJ) Monthly flagship publication covering school board governance, public education innovation, and district leadership, available by subscription and reaching superintendents, school board members, and administrators.
• Federal Public School Law Guidebook 2025 (2nd Edition) Authoritative legal reference guidebook for public school law targeted at school board members, school attorneys, and district administrators; priced at $150 with NSBA members receiving a 20% discount.
• NSBAConnect Member Community Platform Member-only online community platform for school board members featuring discussion forums, file sharing, member directory, and peer networking across state associations and local boards.
• NSBA Annual Conference (NatCon) Annual flagship NSBA conference for school board members, superintendents, and education leaders featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, proposal calls, and an expo; 2026 edition held in San Antonio.
• CUBE Annual Conference Annual conference convened by the Council of Urban Boards of Education for urban school board members to address unique challenges in urban K-12 districts; 2026 edition scheduled October 1-3 in Chicago.
• COSA Online Fall School Law Seminar Online fall school law seminar delivered by COSA targeted at school law attorneys and district counsel, scheduled for October 7-9, 2026.
• Howard University Governance and Strategic Leadership Academy NSBA School Board Leadership Academy delivered in partnership with Howard University for school board members seeking advanced governance and strategic leadership training.
• USC Rossier Academy for Excellence in Board Governance NSBA School Board Leadership Academy delivered in partnership with the USC Rossier School of Education for school board members focused on excellence in board governance.
• NSBA AI Smart Certification CSTA-approved certification course teaching students to use artificial intelligence responsibly and purposefully, offered through NSBA.
• NSBA Membership Core membership program through which state school boards associations and local school boards gain access to NSBA's full suite of resources, federal advocacy, publications, NSBAConnect community, conferences, and member benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 51 million public school students represented through member school boards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Go Green InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnership with Go Green Initiative for 2026 Magna Awards program showcasing district commitments to improving indoor air quality (IAQ), vital to student learning and health. The Go Green Initiative provides resources, grant opportunities, and practical tools for K-12 schools.
• Center for Digital Education (CDE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2026CDE and NSBA jointly announced the 2026 Technology Innovation and LEAD Awards, recognizing seven K-12 school districts for systemwide technology initiatives including AI training, blended learning, and infrastructure upgrades. The partnership leverages CDE's digital education expertise with NSBA's school board network.
• Nassau-Suffolk School Boards AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Co-presented the 'Pathways to Partnerships' workforce development conference with Suffolk County School Superintendents Association and Nassau County Council of School Superintendents. William Floyd School District presented its award-winning CTE program at this event.
• Suffolk County School Superintendents AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Co-presented the 'Pathways to Partnerships' workforce development conference alongside Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and Nassau County Council of School Superintendents.
• Nassau County Council of School SuperintendentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Co-presented the 'Pathways to Partnerships' workforce development conference alongside Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association and Suffolk County School Superintendents Association.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): AASA is the national professional association for school superintendents, paralleling NSBA's role for school board members. Both serve the K-12 governance and leadership ecosystem with advocacy, professional development, and conferences, and frequently co-engage with districts and state associations.
• Education Commission of the States (ECS): ECS is an interstate compact and nonprofit that tracks education policy across all 50 states, providing research, convenings, and policy advising. It mirrors NSBA's role in informing state-level K-12 governance and policy decisions, with overlap on federal advocacy and policy research.
• National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA): NSPRA serves school communications and public relations professionals, who work closely with school boards. Both organizations support K-12 governance through publications, awards, and professional development targeted at district and board leaders.
• National PTA: National PTA is a volunteer-led membership association for parents, teachers, and students, with parallel advocacy, programming, and conference activities targeting K-12 community stakeholders. It shares NSBA's mission of supporting public education and engages the same district-level decision-makers.
• Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO): ASBO International supports school business officials with professional development, certifications, and resources on district finance and operations. It serves the same school district ecosystem as NSBA, with overlapping audiences among district administrators and board members.

Broad incumbents

• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): CCSSO is the nationwide, nonpartisan organization of public officials who lead K-12 state education agencies. Like NSBA, it influences federal K-12 policy, runs leadership programs, and convenes state-level education leaders, making it a direct adjacency for federal advocacy and policy engagement.
• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest U.S. employee labor union representing public school teachers and education staff. While its members differ from NSBA's, it is a major stakeholder in the same federal K-12 policy arena, frequently engaged in advocacy and policy coalitions that touch NSBA members.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): AFT is a national labor union for teachers and public-sector employees. It operates in the same K-12 policy and advocacy landscape as NSBA and often engages with school boards on funding, working conditions, and policy decisions.

Regional players

• New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA): NYSSBA is a large state-level school boards association that delivers governance training, advocacy, and conferences to local boards in New York. It is a member of NSBA's federation but also competes for member attention and programming dollars within its state.
• California School Boards Association (CSBA): CSBA is one of the largest state school boards associations in the U.S., offering governance training, policy services, and publications to California's K-12 boards. It is both a federated member of NSBA and a parallel provider of board services within its geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nsbacomm
• YouTubevimeo.com/nsba
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolboards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-school-boards-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/nsba_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 National School Boards Association