Arkansas School Boards Association

What Arkansas School Boards Association does

The Arkansas School Boards Association (ASBA) is a private, 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1955 and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. ASBA provides leadership, training, advocacy, and specialized governance services to all school district boards, charter schools, and educational service cooperatives in Arkansas, organized across 14 regions. Its core product portfolio includes AR Board Connect (membership database and event registration portal built on FileMaker/FMI), AR Board Ed (a TalentLMS-based online on-demand learning platform), and Simbli (a board governance platform with six modules — Meetings, Planning, Policy, Evaluations, Communications, and Documents — developed by Georgia School Boards Association and offered through ASBA). Additional services include model policy management, risk management and insurance programs (workers' compensation claims administration, accidental death policy, optional group insurance), legal assistance, and state-level advocacy.\n\nASBA's training programs are approved by the Arkansas Department of Education to fulfill the statutory board member training requirement under Section 6-13-629 (6 hours annually for continuing members, 9 hours for newly elected members). The association operates a diversified revenue model including tiered district membership dues (annual invoices to superintendents in July, scaled from $1,000 to $2,400 based on district revenue), conference and seminar registration fees (six major annual events including the 73rd Annual Conference, Tri-State Southern Region Leadership Conference, School Law Seminar, New Board Member Institute, Joint Leadership Conference with AAEA, and Fall Leadership Institute), online course fees via AR Board Ed ($55-$200 per course), and partnership revenue from a Premier Plus & Premier Partners program featuring vendors serving Arkansas K-12 districts. Distribution is multi-channel: direct membership billing, in-person events across Arkansas venues, self-serve online learning, regional dinner meetings, and partner channels.

Name

Arkansas School Boards Association

Legal name

Arkansas School Boards Association

Website

https://arsba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASBA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership association founded in 1955 that provides training, policy, legal, insurance, and advocacy services to all Arkansas school district boards across 14 regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

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. District Membership Fees: Annual membership fees paid by school districts, charter schools, and educational service cooperatives. Fee structure is tiered based on each district's actual annual revenues as published by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. Invoices are mailed to superintendents in July. Membership spans 14 regions across Arkansas.
2. Conference and Training Registration Fees: Fees charged for in-person and virtual training programs, conferences, seminars, and workshops. Includes the Annual Conference, Southern Region Leadership Conference, School Law Seminar, New Board Member Institute, Joint Leadership Conference, Fall Leadership Institute, and specialized seminars such as The School Leader's Legal Playbook. Pricing varies by event and registration timing.
3. Online Course Fees (AR Board Ed): Per-course fees for self-paced online training through AR Board Ed. Districts are invoiced upon course enrollment and completion. Example pricing: 6-hour full-day courses at $200, 1.5-hour courses at $75, 1-hour courses at $55. Some recorded trainings available for audit at no cost or credit.
4. Insurance Products: Risk management and insurance services including workers' compensation claims administration, accidental death policy, and optional group insurance offerings for member districts.
5. Policy Service Fees: Policy service providing model policies and policy management support to member districts, with transition to Simbli platform underway as of 2026.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ASBA is a nonprofit membership association that delivers DESE-approved board training, model policy services, legal assistance, risk management and insurance, and state-level advocacy to all Arkansas school district boards, charter schools, and educational service cooperatives. Members access training through in-person conferences, seminars, and on-demand online courses, and manage governance workflows through AR Board Connect, AR Board Ed, and the Simbli platform.

Product overview

ASBA is a private, 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization providing leadership, training, advocacy, and specialized services to school boards throughout Arkansas. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected products and services including: AR Board Connect (membership database/registration portal), AR Board Ed (online learning platform on TalentLMS), Simbli (board governance platform with six modules for meetings, planning, policy, evaluations, communications, and documents), Policy Service, Legal Assistance, Risk Management & Insurance, Board Development Training, Advocacy, ASBA BoardCast (podcast), Report Card (journal), Educational Foundation Scholarships, and Boardsmanship Awards. ASBA hosts major conferences including the Annual Conference, Tri-State Southern Region Leadership Conference, School Law Seminar, New Board Member Institute, Joint Leadership Conference with AAEA, Fall Leadership Institute, and Regional Meetings. Training programs are approved by the Arkansas Department of Education for board member compliance requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AR Board Ed: ASBA's online, on-demand learning platform designed to empower school board members and educational officials across Arkansas with self-paced courses.
• Simbli Policy Module

Products and services

• AR Board Connect Membership database and online portal used by ASBA members to register for conferences and training events, access training credits, and maintain compliance records for board member training hours.
• AR Board Ed ASBA's online on-demand learning platform built on TalentLMS, offering self-paced courses for Arkansas school board members covering school law, governance, finance, employee relations, and compliance. Courses award DESE-approved training credits.
• Simbli Board management and governance platform developed by the Georgia School Boards Association and offered through ASBA, with six integrated modules: Meetings, Planning, Policy, Evaluations, Communications, and Documents. Used by over 2,100 boards nationwide.
• Policy Service ASBA's service providing model policies and policy management support to member districts, transitioned to the Simbli Policy Module as of July 2025.
• Risk Management and Insurance Insurance coverage programs including workers' compensation administration, accidental death policy, and optional group insurance offerings for member school districts.
• Legal Assistance Legal guidance and support services for school boards, including attorney consultations and compliance assistance on Arkansas-specific education law.
• Board Development Training Comprehensive training programs covering school law, governance, student achievement, finance, community relations, and school safety. Programs are DESE-approved to satisfy statutory board member training requirements under Arkansas Code Section 6-13-629.
• Annual Conference Two-and-a-half-day annual conference and the largest gathering of school board members in Arkansas, featuring general sessions, breakout sessions, a Delegate Assembly, and an exhibit hall. The 73rd Annual Conference is scheduled for December 9-11, 2026.
• Tri-State Southern Region Leadership Conference Annual summer conference held in rotation among Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, featuring national speakers, networking, and training hours for attendees. The 2026 edition is at the Hot Springs Convention Center, July 19-21.
• School Law Seminar Annual February seminar providing legal updates and best-practice guidance on issues impacting Arkansas schools, with a focus on legislative changes.
• New Board Member Institute Post-election workshop orienting new school board members to their roles and responsibilities, awarding six training hours upon completion.
• Joint Leadership Conference Annual spring conference co-hosted with the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA), now in its 30th year, covering hot topics in education with emphasis on new Arkansas laws after legislative sessions.
• Fall Leadership Institute One-day training program designed to help school board members increase effectiveness and support district achievement and goals, held in September.
• Regional Meetings Annual fall dinner meetings held in each of ASBA's 14 regions, enabling board members and superintendents to network with regional colleagues and receive topical governance information; Regional Directors are elected during these meetings.
• Advocacy State-level advocacy on behalf of school boards, influencing education policy and legislation affecting Arkansas public schools.
• Report Card ASBA's bimonthly journal covering education news, leadership topics, district spotlights, and association updates, available online and by mail.
• ASBA BoardCast Podcast series featuring discussions on school board topics, including campaign finance, facilities planning, and education governance. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.
• ASBA Educational Foundation Scholarships Scholarship program for graduating high school seniors who are children of Arkansas school board members, including the Marshall R. Hughes Scholarship ($5,000), J.K. Williams Memorial Scholarship ($2,500), and district freshman scholarships ($1,000 each).
• Boardsmanship Awards Program Recognition program with progressive levels based on cumulative training hours: Certificate of Boardsmanship (25 hrs), Master Board Member (50 hrs), Pinnacle Award (200 hrs), Platinum Award (400 hrs), President's Award (500+ hrs), and School Board Service Awards (30+ and 40+ years).
• Whole Board Award Program Recognition program for entire school boards demonstrating education excellence and ethical service, with Outstanding Board and Master Board award tiers.

Quantifiable outcome

• All Arkansas school districts are ASBA members — universal market penetration within the state.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Simbli (eBOARDSolutions)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 July 2026Simbli is a board management solution developed by the Georgia School Boards Association and offered through ASBA. It provides six integrated modules for Meetings, Planning, Policy, Evaluations, Communications, and Documents. ASBA is transitioning its Policy Service to Simbli, with full completion scheduled for July 1, 2026. Seven ASBA member districts currently use Simbli. Used by over 2,100 boards nationwide.
• Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBA and AAEA co-host the annual Joint Leadership Conference, now in its 30th year (2026). The conference brings school board members, superintendents, and district leaders together for professional learning. The partnership extends to legislative advocacy coordination following Arkansas legislative sessions.
• Rose Law FirmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBA partners with Missy McJunkins Duke, attorney at Rose Law Firm, to deliver intensive one-day virtual training on FMLA, ADA, PWFA, and Arkansas leave laws. Training sessions are offered multiple times per year (April 28, May 19, July 14, August 11 in 2026) for $205 per attendee.
• Bequette, Billingsley & Kees, P.A.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBA partners with Cody Kees of Bequette, Billingsley & Kees, P.A. for The School Leader's Legal Playbook: Employment Law in Arkansas training series. Sessions are offered at multiple Arkansas locations (Little Rock and Farmington) in 2026, with 5 training hours awarded per session.
• Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSSBA is listed as an ASBA helpful link and premier partner. It represents state school boards associations nationally and is featured on ASBA's website footer alongside the Arkansas Department of Education and U.S. Department of Education.
• Northwest Arkansas Education Service CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBA uses the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative facility (4 N. Double Springs Rd., Farmington) as a training location for The School Leader's Legal Playbook on July 6, 2026.
• Arkansas Ethics CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASBA BoardCast Episode 5 featured Jill Barham (Interim Executive Director) and Drew Blankenship (Staff Attorney) from the Arkansas Ethics Commission discussing Arkansas campaign finance reporting requirements for school board candidates and members.
• Premier Plus & Premier Partners (Multiple Companies)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerASBA's Premier Plus & Premier Partners program includes: American Fidelity, Baldwin & Shell Construction Company, COSSBA, Gallagher, Lumatech, Simbli by eBOARDSolutions, First Security, Nabholz, Performance Services, Phoenix Contractors, Stephens, and WDD Architects. These partners are featured on the ASBA website with links to their respective organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Georgia School Boards Association: State-level membership association for Georgia public school boards offering training, policy, and advocacy services—the direct functional analogue to ASBA and the originator of the Simbli board management platform that ASBA distributes. Same business model, same customer type (state school boards), and a technology partnership.
• Mississippi School Boards Association: Mississippi's statewide school boards membership organization providing board training, policy services, and advocacy—co-participant in the tri-state Southern Region Leadership Conference with ASBA and LSBA.
• Texas Association of School Boards: Large state-level membership association serving Texas public school boards with training, policy services, legal resources, and insurance—structurally identical to ASBA's model but at much greater scale, making it a relevant benchmark for service breadth and revenue mix.
• Illinois Association of School Boards: Statewide membership association for Illinois school boards providing board development training, policy services, legal support, and advocacy—a close functional peer in service portfolio and member-funded structure.
• Tennessee School Boards Association: Tennessee's statewide membership association of school boards providing training, policy, legal, and advocacy services—an additional state-level peer with the same nonprofit membership structure as ASBA.
• Missouri School Boards' Association: Missouri's statewide association of public school boards offering training, policy, legal, and advocacy services under a membership-funded model—directly comparable to ASBA in scope and service mix.
• Oklahoma State School Boards Association: Oklahoma's statewide school boards association providing governance training, policy services, and advocacy to member districts—directly comparable service portfolio and member-funded operating model.
• Louisiana School Boards Association: Louisiana's statewide association of school boards providing training, policy support, and advocacy—co-participant with ASBA in the rotating Southern Region Leadership Conference, indicating close peer-level comparability.
• California School Boards Association: California's statewide school boards association offering governance training, policy services, legal assistance, and advocacy to all public school boards in the state—same membership-driven model applied to the largest U.S. state school system.

Broad incumbents

• National School Boards Association: National umbrella organization representing state school boards associations (including ASBA) and providing federal-level advocacy and resources. Operates at a broader national scope rather than a single state, but overlaps meaningfully in member services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arkschbdsassn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLp-xwq505Sq_B5Co40EQsO8qcM8_iHw64
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArkSchBdsAssn
• Instagraminstagram.com/arschoolboards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Arkansas School Boards Association