Kentucky School Boards Association

What Kentucky School Boards Association does

The Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1936 and headquartered at 260 Democrat Drive, Frankfort, Kentucky. It represents 857 elected school board members governing all 171 of Kentucky's public school districts across 12 regional groupings, and is led by Executive Director Kerri Schelling, CAE, under a 27-member board of directors. KSBA's mission is to provide service, support, and training to local boards responsible for governing public K-12 education in the Commonwealth.

KSBA delivers its services through four functional pillars: governance support (eMeeting electronic meeting management, Policy Services, Legal Services, Self-Evaluation Services); superintendent placement (executive search facilitation); risk management (a Unemployment Program serving 169 districts and three educational cooperatives with claims management, protests, and appeals); and professional development (Academy of Studies, monthly Webinar Series at $75 per session, Summer Leadership Institute, Winter Symposium, and an Annual Conference drawing over 1,000 attendees). Underlying technology is a member portal with a Training Tracker that records state-mandated continuing-education hours — a role for which KSBA has been designated by the Kentucky Board of Education — alongside the eMeeting platform for hybrid board proceedings.

KSBA's revenue model combines recurring membership dues from 857 board members and 171 districts, claims-based contributions to the Unemployment Program, unit-priced training webinars, episodic professional-services fees for policy development and superintendent searches, event registration and sponsorship, and a tiered Affiliate Member program (Tier 1–3) that delivers construction, architecture, insurance, energy, finance, and HR vendors into districts under endorsed-provider arrangements. Communications and advocacy channels include the Kentucky School Advocate Magazine (10 issues/year, ~2,000 circulation), the KSBA Aware E-Newsletter, and active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The KSBA Educational Foundation operates as a charitable arm funding first-generation college scholarships.

Name

Kentucky School Boards Association

Legal name

Kentucky School Boards Association

Website

https://ksba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA), founded in 1936 and headquartered in Frankfort, Kentucky, is a nonprofit professional association serving all 171 of Kentucky's public school districts and 857 elected school board members through governance support, training, policy services, superintendent search, and an unemployment claims program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Governance Services

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Other General Government Support (921190), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy, Governance & Board Administration (EDAJAHAG), K–12 SIS & District Administration Platforms (EDAFAEAA), Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA), State/Federal Reporting, Accountability & Audit Readiness (EDAJAHAF), Finance, Budgeting, Procurement & AP/AR (School/District Ops) (EDAJAHAL)

Keywords

• School board association
• Education governance services
• Board member training
• Policy development services
• Superintendent search

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyustendil

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

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: KSBA represents 857 school board members from across Kentucky who are members of the association
2. Webinar Registration Fees: Each webinar session costs $75 per registration with credit card payment required at time of registration
3. Unemployment Program: 169 districts and three educational cooperatives in Kentucky rely on the KSBA Unemployment Program to assist them in dealing with unemployment claims
4. Policy Services: Policy Service team assists boards in adopting best practice board policies and works with superintendents in maintaining administrative procedures
5. Superintendent Search Services: Executive search services for Kentucky school districts seeking new superintendent leadership

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

KSBA delivers governance support, training, policy development, legal, executive search, and unemployment-claims services to Kentucky's 171 public school districts and their 857 elected school board members. Its services are organized around four pillars: governance support (eMeeting, Policy Services, Legal Services, Self-Evaluation Services), superintendent placement, the KSBA Unemployment Program covering 169 districts and three cooperatives, and a professional development program delivered through webinars and three signature annual events.

Product overview

The Kentucky School Boards Association operates as a membership organization offering a suite of services organized around four core areas: governance support (eMeeting, Policy Services, Legal Services, Self-Evaluation Services), superintendent placement (Superintendent Search Service), financial/risk management (Unemployment Program serving 169 districts), and professional development/training (Webinar Series, Summer Leadership Institute, Winter Symposium, Annual Conference, Academy of Studies). KSBA also provides communications resources including the Kentucky School Advocate Magazine (10x/year), the KSBA Aware E-Newsletter, and manages the KSBA Educational Foundation for student scholarships. The association represents 857 school board members across Kentucky's school districts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KSBA Educational Foundation: The charitable arm of the association that provides scholarships to Kentucky students who are first in their families to attend college
• Kentucky School Advocate
• KSBA Aware E-Newsletter
• KSBA Webinar Series
• 2026 Webinar Series

Products and services

• eMeeting
• Policy Services
• Legal Services
• Superintendent Search Service Executive search service facilitating Kentucky school district searches for new superintendent candidates.
• Unemployment Program Managed unemployment claims service for Kentucky school districts, providing claims management, protests, and appeals support; serves 169 districts and three educational cooperatives.
• Self-Evaluation Services Service assisting Kentucky school districts with conducting board and district self-evaluation processes.
• Webinar Series Monthly professional development webinars for school board members offering state-mandated training credit in topics including ethics, school safety, finance, and communications.
• Annual Conference Annual three-day education conference bringing together over 1,000 board members, superintendents, and education leaders with professional development, networking, and trade show.
• Winter Symposium Annual two-day intensive training event held each December in Louisville for school board members and administrators.
• Summer Leadership Institute Annual two-day leadership training event held each July in Lexington for school board members and education leaders.
• Academy of Studies Multi-level training program for school board members with required courses including the 'Your Association' introductory content for Academy of Studies Level I.
• KOSAA Professional organization serving administrative assistants to Kentucky school district superintendents.

Quantifiable outcome

• 169 districts and 3 educational cooperatives participate in the KSBA Unemployment Program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered tier 1 affiliate, tier 2 affiliate, tier 3 affiliate and core.

• Alliance Corporationtier 1 affiliateOthersSchool construction management provider offering experienced services for Kentucky school districts
• American Fidelity Educational Servicestier 1 affiliateOthersSpecializes as an extension of district HR and finance departments; endorsed provider of KSBA. Sponsors the 2026 Board Member of the Year Award and 2026 KOSAA KUP Award
• ClotfelterSamokar Architectstier 1 affiliateOthersMulti-discipline design firm providing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, master planning and district facility planning services for over 70 years
• Houchens Insurance Group Educationtier 1 affiliateOthersAgents for all lines of insurance including property, liability, auto, workers compensation, cyber, and employee benefits
• Performance Servicestier 1 affiliateOthersGuaranteed Energy Savings Contracts and Solar Power Solutions for K-12 schools
• RossTarrant Architectstier 1 affiliateOthersEducational facilities designer with 50 years of experience designing Kentucky schools
• Schmidt Associatestier 1 affiliateOthersEducation design firm with inclusive process highlighting what is unique about each school district
• Sherman Carter Barnhart Architectstier 1 affiliateOthersNationally recognized leader in planning and design of educational facilities with expertise in 21st century learning environments and zero energy efficiency
• Summit Architects + Engineerstier 1 affiliateOthersArchitecture, civil engineering, planning for K-12, higher education and municipal clients
• Trace Creek Constructiontier 1 affiliateOthersSpecializes in construction management, design build and general contracting
• Trane Kentucky & Southern Indianatier 1 affiliateOthersDelivers innovative technology and systems optimizing performance, minimizing energy use and reducing costs
• Ascendant Facility Partnerstier 2 affiliateOthersGuaranteed Energy Savings Company partner providing full-service energy and infrastructure solutions
• R.W. Bairdtier 2 affiliateOthersFinancial advisory services for K-12 school districts including public finance expertise
• RSA Advisorstier 2 affiliateOthersInvestment banking and educational financing services
• Compass Municipal Advisorstier 2 affiliateOthersIndependent municipal advisory firm with offices in Lexington, KY and Columbia, SC with over 30 years in municipal finance
• CMTA, Inc.tier 2 affiliateOthersEnergy Solutions serving K-12 schools through guaranteed energy savings performance contracting and consulting engineering
• Elevate Academy KYtier 2 affiliateOthersAffordable and customizable rank change option for Kentucky Educators, serving over 1,200 candidates since January 2021
• Deco Architectstier 2 affiliateOthersProfessional architecture firm passionate about K-12 education with unique insights into education
• JRA Architectstier 2 affiliateOthersDistrict Facility Plans, Architecture, Planning, Renovations, New Buildings and Roofing projects
• RBS Design Group Architecturetier 2 affiliateOthersAward recognized architecture and design firm committed to clients from concept to completion
• BFW/Marcum Engineeringtier 2 affiliateOthersComprehensive engineering services including civil, structural, energy management, mechanical, electrical and plumbing
• BHP/Thermal Equipment Salestier 2 affiliateOthersHVAC manufacturers representative for equipment sales, parts, service and controls
• Brown + Kubican, PSCtier 3 affiliateOthersStructural engineering design, analysis, and investigation services; largest Kentucky-based Structural Engineering firm
• G. Scott & Associates Architectstier 3 affiliateOthersArchitectural services for over 30 years
• KSBA Educational FoundationcoreOthersCharitable arm of KSBA that advances the strategic position of school boards through funding of association support, services, and professional training. Provides scholarships to Kentucky students who are first in their families to attend college

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA): Direct state-level peer providing training, policy services, advocacy, and superintendent search support to Ohio's school boards. Highly comparable in product mix, membership model, and revenue diversification across dues, training events, and managed services.
• Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA): State-level association serving Tennessee school boards with training, policy services, advocacy, and superintendent search offerings. Directly parallel operating model and service stack to KSBA.
• Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA): Neighbor-state peer association delivering policy services, board member training, superintendent search, and legal support to Indiana school districts. Comparable in structure, scale, and product portfolio to KSBA.
• Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB): Comprehensive state association for Illinois school boards offering training, policy development, superintendent search, and legal services. Comparable in membership scale, service breadth, and self-funded association structure.

Emerging players

• Frontline Education: Commercial K-12 administration software provider offering HR, finance, and student management systems. Indirectly comparable through shared K-12 district administration buyer and overlaps with KSBA's policy and unemployment program services.
• BoardDocs (Diligent): Commercial governance software platform used by K-12 school boards for meeting management, policy libraries, and board materials. Competes with KSBA's eMeeting and Policy Services offerings and represents a technology-driven threat to the association's managed services.

Broad incumbents

• National School Boards Association (NSBA): National umbrella association for school boards that KSBA affiliates with via COSSBA membership. NSBA provides federal-level advocacy, research, and programming that complements KSBA's state-level services, making it the closest parallel in function and governance structure, though broader in geographic scope.

Others

• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): National association serving school superintendents with adjacent services like professional development and policy support. Comparable association structure but serves a different (executive) persona than KSBA's board members.
• Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA): Umbrella organization of state school boards associations of which KSBA is a member. Provides collaboration, federal advocacy, and shared resources, making it a direct ecosystem partner rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ksbanews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KSBATechnologyAdmin
• Facebookfacebook.com/KSBAnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ksba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Kentucky School Boards Association