Click to download ASBA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS BROCHURE

Board Training

ASBA helps board members acquire the knowledge and skills they need to better serve their school communities. This training is done through workshops, seminars, conferences, online courses, and webinars for both veteran and new board members.

Training focuses on leadership development, school law, finance, audit, personnel matters, student hearings, and more. Specialized training can be developed to meet a board’s specific needs, including strengthening the board-superintendent leadership relationship.

Policy Service

Most districts do not have the resources to monitor every education law change that occurs. For this reason, ASBA developed its Model Policy Service. Subscribers to the service receive policy updates that are extensively researched and include legal citations.

Every school district must keep its policies current. Our Model Policy Service is a cost-effective way to ensure that the district complies with state and federal laws.

Legal Assistance

Often board members and administrators encounter issues regarding personnel, students or policy and need help to ensure they make sound decisions. ASBA’s staff attorney can assist by phone and guide you through district legal situations. We also provide board and staff training on school law.

Legal consultation is confidential and tailored to your specific need. ASBA can provide templates or custom letters to assist with the personnel discipline process. Many districts find that the availability of legal consultation alone exceeds the value of their membership investment.

Risk Management

Property, vehicle, and board legal liability insurance – all are necessary to reduce a district’s potential financial risk. ASBA offers these, along with workers’ compensation insurance, to its member districts. Through its loss control program and training, ASBA helps districts lessen the chance of an accident or injury.

Schools are our sole clients, so our insurance and loss control programs specifically address your needs. We make sure that you are covered fully so that you don’t get hit with surprises, like unexpected coverage limitations when you file a claim. As a non-profit, self-insurance pool, we work hard to keep premiums as low as possible and never include commissions in our rates.

Board Member Focus

School boards are our primary focus, and all Arkansas school boards belong to ASBA. While every board deals with similar issues, our programs and services exist to meet the specific needs of boards in districts both large and small, rural and urban.

No other organization solely focuses its efforts on helping board members do a good job in their elected roles. The ASBA Board of Directors is made up of school board members in their own communities. They direct the activities of ASBA through the Executive Director and staff.

Advocacy

ASBA is a respected voice for school boards and public education. ASBA speaks out on the issues important to all school board members and the students they serve.

The ASBA legislative team works to pass important legislation. The team also works with legislators to improve bills by suggesting changes or explaining why the draft bill is not good for children.

ASBA will formulate new legislation to provide more flexibility at the local level, monitor proposed legislation, and work to stop any that would limit local control school boards and communities need to best serve Arkansas students.

Other Services

• The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS): Our multi-state purchasing program meets bidding requirements and features deep discounts from popular national vendors for equipment, supplies, and furniture.

• Accidental Death Policy: Each ASBA school board member automatically receives insurance coverage for school-related travel.

• Group Insurance: School employees may participate in ASBA-endorsed insurance programs providing life, long-term disability, and business trip AD&D insurance coverage.

• Scholarship Program: ASBA’s competitive college scholarship program awards six scholarships each year through the ASBA Educational Foundation to children and families of school board members.

Your Investment

Each district’s annual ASBA membership fee is based on the district’s actual annual revenues published by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education:

*An invoice for a district’s annual membership fee is mailed to each superintendent in July.