Consortium of State School Boards Associations

What Consortium of State School Boards Associations does

COSSBA (Consortium of State School Boards Associations) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan national alliance founded in 2022 and headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. It was established by state school boards associations to consolidate federal advocacy, professional development, and peer-to-peer resource sharing on behalf of local school boards. As of 2025–2026 the organization represents 25 state associations whose collective membership engages thousands of local school boards and more than 24 million K-12 students across the United States. The organization positions itself as a nonpartisan intermediary that translates state-level governance priorities into a unified federal voice, particularly around K-12 funding, IDEA, mental health, broadband/cybersecurity, child nutrition, and Title II teacher training.

The organization's product surface is service-based rather than software-based. Core offerings include a Federal Advocacy Platform with formal position papers; the annual COSSBA National Conference (Louisville, KY in March 2026, with early-bird registration at $725–$1,025); the annual Federal Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. (September 21–23, 2026, $695–$795); the Unified Boards Alliance (UBA) training program; the ELEVATE: Women Leading the Future of Education professional development series; a monthly/quarterly webinar series covering topics from crisis management to AI integration; and the quarterly COSSBA Connection newsletter. Underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: a Wix-hosted website (cossba.org), Vimeo for webinar recording playback, and ThoughtExchange for strategic-planning member engagement. COSSBA does not offer a proprietary technology product, API, or SDK; member-facing functionality is delivered through partnerships (Diligent for governance software, Safer Schools Together for digital threat-assessment webinars, Bose Public Affairs Group for federal advocacy execution).

The revenue model is a nonprofit membership consortium: undisclosed state-association membership dues supplemented by conference registration fees, sponsor/partnership revenue from a roster that includes Bose Public Affairs Group (core advocacy partner), Diligent, CM Regent Insurance, Hennes Communications, Compensation Creations, Safer Schools Together, McGraw Hill, and Caissa K12. Distribution is channel-based rather than direct: the 25 state associations act as resellers/distributors of COSSBA resources and training to their local member boards. Federal advocacy is executed largely through Bose Public Affairs Group's coalition representation (Committee for Educational Funding, IDEA Full Funding Coalition, Child Hunger Coalition) and annual Washington fly-ins. The current leadership team is small — Executive Director Dr. Kathy McFarland, Board Chair Dr. Robert Stwalley (since July 1, 2025), and a handful of named directors overseeing Communications/Government Relations, Member Services, and Partnerships — consistent with a lean nonprofit operating structure.

Name

Consortium of State School Boards Associations

Legal name

Consortium of State School Boards Associations

Website

https://cossba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COSSBA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit national alliance, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma, that represents 25 state school boards associations serving more than 24 million K-12 students. It delivers federal advocacy, annual conferences, professional development programs, and training resources to member associations and their local school boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

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, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

COSSBA is a nonpartisan, national alliance of state school boards associations that delivers federal advocacy, professional development, networking, and resource sharing on behalf of its 25 member state associations and the thousands of local school boards they serve. It monetizes through state association membership dues and conference/event registration fees (e.g., 2026 National Conference and Federal Advocacy Conference), supported by a small staff in Norman, Oklahoma, and external advocacy and partnerships.

Product overview

COSSBA is a non-profit, nonpartisan national alliance dedicated to sharing resources and information to support, promote, and strengthen state school boards associations. Founded in 2022, it currently represents 25 state associations engaging thousands of local school boards and more than 24 million K-12 students. COSSBA offers advocacy services, annual conferences (National Conference, Federal Advocacy Conference), professional development programs (ELEVATE LeadHERship, Unified Boards Alliance), webinars, and newsletters. The organization focuses on federal advocacy priorities including student achievement data, mental health supports, K-12 funding, teacher training, broadband/cybersecurity, child nutrition, and IDEA. It does not offer a technology product or software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELEVATE: Women Leading the Future of Education: A professional development series designed to strengthen women's leadership identity, voice, and impact in education
• Unified Boards Alliance (UBA)

Products and services

• Federal Advocacy Services Non-partisan federal advocacy focusing on major federal issues impacting public schools and students, including student achievement data, mental health supports, K-12 funding, teacher training, broadband/cybersecurity, child nutrition, and IDEA. Delivered through the Bose Public Affairs Group, weekly newsletters, Washington fly-ins, and coalition participation (Committee for Educational Funding, IDEA Full Funding Coalition, Child Hunger Coalition).
• COSSBA National Conference Annual conference bringing together state school boards associations, board members, executives, and staff for professional development, networking, and education leadership training. The 2026 edition was held in Louisville, KY with 27 state associations attending.
• Federal Advocacy Conference Annual conference providing school board members and association staff with tools, information and confidence to engage in meaningful federal advocacy, including Day on the Hill meetings with congressional offices. Scheduled for September 21-23, 2026 at The Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
• Unified Boards Alliance (UBA) Practical training, best practices, and resources delivered through the UBA Pre-Conference Day and ongoing programs that empower local boards to address student barriers and challenges.
• ELEVATE LeadHERship Series Professional development series for women in education leadership, including monthly Spill the Tea webinars, workshops at national conferences, and a network for leadership development. Based on the ELEVATE Leadership Framework: Awareness, Empowerment, and Action.
• Webinar Series Monthly and quarterly webinars covering topics including digital divide, AI integration, mental health, crisis management, equity, and other education leadership issues.
• COSSBA Connection Newsletter Quarterly newsletter providing updates on advocacy efforts, conferences, member spotlights, and policy positions to state school boards associations.
• Federal Advocacy Platform and Position Papers Formal member-driven policy positions on federal issues including Mental Health Supports, Prioritizing K-12 Education, Increased Funding, Teacher/Principal Training (Title II), Broadband/Cybersecurity/E-Rate, Child Nutrition, and IDEA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 25 state associations and 24+ million K-12 students
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bose Public Affairs GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOSSBA's federal advocacy firm that monitors and tracks legislation and regulatory actions impacting COSSBA membership. Represents COSSBA in national education coalitions including the Committee for Educational Funding, IDEA Full Funding Coalition, and Child Hunger Coalition. Provides weekly newsletter covering Congressional events, regulatory actions, and appropriations. Organizes Washington DC fly-ins and conferences.
• Council of Great City SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing urban public school systems. COSSBA collaborates with CGCS on several education-related coalitions to advocate for public education.
• AASA (School Superintendents Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing school superintendents. COSSBA collaborates on several education-related coalitions and met in person to discuss collaboration opportunities.
• Safer Schools TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides quarterly Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates Webinars for COSSBA members at no cost. These trainings support Digital Threat Assessment (DTA) efforts by providing districts with timely intelligence on the evolving digital landscape.
• Hennes CommunicationsminorOthersLegacy Partner providing crisis communications expertise and content for school communications. Articles on mass shooting playbook and crisis management published through COSSBA newsletters.
• DiligentminorOthersLegacy Partner providing governance software solutions. Invests in AI-powered innovation for school board governance including integrated live-streamed meetings with real-time captions, policy lifecycle management, and accessible user experiences.
• Caissa K12minorOthersPartner helping districts locate and re-engage 'No Show' students who enrolled but never attended, improving attendance and enrollment while lowering chronic absentee rates. Collaborated on national parent poll webinar on school choice.
• CM Regent Insurance CompanyminorOthersLegacy Partner providing insurance solutions designed specifically for educational institutions. Offers risk control support and blog insights on school safety topics including cell phone policies.
• Compensation Creations LLCminorOthersLegacy Partner supporting state school boards associations with compensation structure strengthening, internal pay equity improvement, and building stable, transparent workforce systems.
• McGraw HillminorOthersEducational publisher providing content on supporting multilingual learners in middle and high school ELA through COSSBA newsletter.
• Business Advisory GroupcoreOthersInternal advisory group composed of Executive Directors and CIOs from member associations that works closely with COSSBA to explore innovative, mission-aligned strategies for sponsorship and partnership development.
• Committee for Educational FundingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition focused on education funding advocacy. COSSBA participates through Bose Public Affairs Group representation.
• IDEA Full Funding CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition advocating for full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. COSSBA participates through Bose Public Affairs Group representation.
• Child Hunger CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition focused on child nutrition and hunger issues. COSSBA participates through Bose Public Affairs Group representation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP): NASSP is a national membership organization for middle and high school principals offering federal advocacy, professional development, and conferences. While it serves building-level leaders rather than boards, its federal advocacy platform and member-service model overlap with COSSBA's offerings to local school board members.
• Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO): ASBO International is a membership organization for school business officials that delivers federal advocacy, professional development, and resources. It overlaps with COSSBA's professional development and policy support functions for K-12 governance, though it serves a narrower financial-operations audience.
• National Rural Education Association (NREA): NREA advocates for rural schools and offers federal advocacy, conferences, and professional development. It overlaps with COSSBA's federal advocacy mission on issues like broadband and K-12 funding, though it focuses on the rural subset of the school governance constituency.

Direct peers

• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): AASA is a national membership organization for school superintendents, providing federal advocacy, professional development, conferences, and policy support. COSSBA explicitly collaborates with AASA on education coalitions, making it both a peer and a partner serving overlapping K-12 governance audiences.
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE): NASBE is a nonprofit association of state boards of education that provides policy guidance, professional development, and advocacy at the federal level. It is the most direct functional peer to COSSBA, serving a parallel state-level governance constituency with comparable federal advocacy and member-service offerings.
• Council of Great City Schools: Council of Great City Schools is a national coalition of large urban public school systems focused on federal advocacy and member services. COSSBA lists it as a strategic partner on education coalitions, and it serves a comparable federal advocacy and member-service function for a narrower urban segment of K-12 governance.

Broad incumbents

• National PTA: National PTA is a membership-based advocacy organization for parents, students, and educators, operating federal advocacy, conferences, and resource programs. It is an adjacent incumbent serving the K-12 community with similar advocacy and member-service structures, though its constituent base (parents) differs from COSSBA's (state associations).
• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the largest U.S. education employee organization with broad federal advocacy, professional development, and member-service operations. While NEA represents educators rather than school boards, it competes for federal advocacy influence, member dues, and conference mindshare within the broader K-12 education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cofssba
• Facebookfacebook.com/cossba.usa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cossba
• Instagraminstagram.com/cossba_usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Consortium of State School Boards Associations