Maximizing your CASB Membership

The Colorado Association of School Boards was established in 1940 to provide a structure through which school board members could unite in their efforts to promote the interests and welfare of Colorado’s 178 school districts.

CASB represents and advocates for more than 1,000 school board members and superintendents statewide to groups both within and outside the K–12 education community. CASB provides services, information, and training programs to support school board members as they govern their local districts. Membership benefits are designed to enhance school board effectiveness and help board members increase their knowledge, boost their efficiency, and connect with their communities.

CASB also cultivates relationships with dozens of governing bodies and other education stakeholders – at both the state and national level – to ensure a unified and effective voice and presence on behalf of its members.

Association Governance

CASB bylaws, which were adopted by the membership, provide the structure for the governance of the association. For purposes of association governance, the state is divided into 12 CASB regions. At the annual convention, local school board members are elected as directors to represent each of these regions. For the more populous regions, the bylaws provide for the election of more than one director. Directors are elected for three-year terms.

The 23-member board of directors, which serves as the governing body of the association when the membership is not assembled, is comprised of these regional directors. Four seats on the board are dedicated to the six school districts in the state with the greatest number of students. The CASB Board of Directors annually elects officers. The board of directors appoints CASB’s executive director, who serves as the chief administrative officer of the association.

Executive Committee

The purpose of the executive committee is to facilitate the work of the CASB Board of Directors and to take final action on behalf of the board when necessary, if the full board is unable to meet. The executive committee also provides internal leadership development for the board, anticipates issues for discussion with the full board, previews and provides information about candidates for appointment to fill vacancies on the board and serves other functions in accordance with the governance model adopted by the CASB board.

Membership

Membership in the association is open to the boards of all Colorado school districts and community colleges, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), the State Board of Education, and the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. More than 95 percent of boards of education across the state are members of CASB. The association is primarily supported by voluntary payment of dues and fees by local school boards from district funds. Annual dues vary with the size of the school district, based upon the general fund budget.

Benefits of Belonging

CASB offers a diverse range of benefits and services that are included in membership dues, as well as additional fee-based customized solutions that are offered far below market value.

Membership benefits and services included with CASB dues:

Phone and email support
Policy leadership and support
Legal information and updates
Advocacy and lobbying
Communications updates and support
Peer learning and networking
Board governance support
Engagement and partnership with education stakeholders
Fee-based solutions and special projects:
Policy projects
Policy updates based on legislation
Annual convention
Fall and winter conferences, regional meetings
Board effectiveness workshops and retreats

Policy Services

CASB offers a menu of policy services designed to promote effective school board governance and assist boards with their essential policy role.

Policy Member Benefits:

Unlimited phone consultations
Sample policies on individual topics
Review of individual policies
Policy manual audit service (spot-check of board’s policy manual for legally required policies, as well as feedback on organization and format)

Custom Policy Solutions

CASB’s custom policy options offer ways to ensure that local policy remains relevant and complies with applicable law. A policy manual overhaul project helps districts create a comprehensive, customized policy manual using CASB’s Core Sample Policy manual as a starting point. Our Core Sample Policy Manual is a comprehensive, attorney-reviewed sample policy resource that includes all legally required policies, as well as numerous other policies addressing virtually every issue likely to arise in a public school district.

For Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), CASB offers a modified version of the Core Sample Policy Manual. The comprehensive, attorney-reviewed sample policy manual includes all legally required policies, as well as numerous policies addressing BOCES-specific issues.

CASB’s user-friendly online policy solutions are designed to promote more effective local policy leadership and include the Policy Support System and Online District Policy Maintenance.

The Policy Support System provides an informative and comprehensive approach to keeping policies up to date via:

CASB Core Policy Online, which allows users to search CASB’s sample policies any time and includes links to current state statutes and regulations.
Special Policy Update – A newsletter to alert boards and staff to time-sensitive or hot-topic policy issues that require immediate attention. Special Policy Update also provides pertinent policy updates to CASB’s sample policies.
Online District Policy Maintenance transforms the board’s policy manual from a cumbersome notebook into a convenient, paperless policy collection. CASB hosts the manual, links it to your district’s website and performs all updates at the district’s request.

Policy training sessions are offered on a variety of topics, including:

How to keep the board’s policy manual current
Policy manual orientation
Key policy areas

If the board’s policy manual is not currently using the National Education Policy Network/National School Boards Association policy letter codes or is using outdated letter codes, consider a policy manual re-coding project. CASB will recode the manual to the current NEPN/NSBA coding system, allowing greater ease for referencing and updating.

CASB’s Policy Governance® service provides comprehensive facilitation and consultation, enabling boards to establish a specific framework for effective governance using the Policy Governance® model.

Legal Resources

Member Legal Resources

CASB’s member legal resources team provides general legal information and consultation to educate school leaders about the law and help avoid potential legal problems.

CASB's staff attorney:

Corresponds directly with members on legal questions arising in their communities
Publishes memos on frequently asked questions and topics of interest to school leaders, e.g., nonrenewal process, elections
Provides updates on legal issues affecting districts throughout the state, e.g., recent court decisions, legislative changes
Emails updates with upcoming compliance deadlines
Provides regional seminars and training sessions for school board members and administrators
Reviews legislation and assist with CASB’s advocacy efforts
Supports CASB’s development of sample policies as required by legislative or judicial action
Participates on task forces and other committees that influence and develop education policy

Training and Seminars

CASB’s legal team offers training and seminars designed to reduce districts’ potential liability by providing staff and board members with an understanding of their rights and obligations under the law. In addition, CASB members may request specialized trainings tailored to their local concerns for a flat fee. Such retreats and presentations are customized to the board’s needs and may relate to any topic, from board governance to special-education laws.

Conferences

CASB believes that local school districts can be only as good as the quality of their leadership. To that end, CASB offers school board leaders numerous training, education and networking opportunities throughout the year to strengthen their governance role.

Annual Convention

CASB’s signature event is the largest gathering of school board members in the state and provides a unique opportunity to learn, connect, grow, and become inspired. Attendees hear from national speakers, focus on statewide education initiatives and directives, and have a chance to network and share experiences with other education leaders throughout the state.

Fall Delegate Assembly Conference

The Delegate Assembly is the foundation of CASB’s governance structure and provides critical direction to CASB when it represents members’ interests before state and national policy-makers. This conference is an opportunity for members and their delegates to learn about issues facing public education in Colorado and to debate and deliberate those issues before the delegates vote on resolutions. Participation by members ensures that CASB understands the interests of all boards of education across the state.

Winter Legislative Conference

CASB's Winter Conference provides school board members the opportunity to meet with their state legislators, learn about legislative issues impacting public education, and spend time at the state capitol to see the House and Senate in action.

First Semester Regional Meetings

CASB hosts meetings in each of its 12 regions annually to enable school board members to network with their colleagues, have professional learning, and share challenges and success stories with neighboring districts.

Advocacy Services

CASB’s advocacy team represents school boards at the state and federal levels by lobbying members of the General Assembly and U.S. Congress and staying abreast of the pulse of education.

How CASB Advocates for Local School Boards:

Lobbies the state legislature based on the resolutions adopted by the CASB delegate assembly, the legislative priorities established by the CASB board of directors, and input from the Legislative Resolutions Committee.
Hosts Days at the Capitol in February to give school board members from across the state a chance to experience the legislative process firsthand and help strengthen the voice of school boards.
Sends legislative updates and alerts on a regular basis during the legislative session. CASB makes it easy for board members to contact legislators. CASB’s School Board Advocate online newsletter is distributed during the legislative session to inform members about the latest developments at the state capitol that impact K–12 education.
Compiles a list of the education bills introduced each year by the legislature, including a summary of each piece of legislation and CASB’s position on the bill. This is known as CASB's Bill Tracker.
Provides federal advocacy by responding to lobbying requests from the National School Boards Association. Through CASB’s Federal Relations Network, the advocacy team and committee members also correspond with Colorado’s congressional delegation to convey the position of local boards of education on federal issues

School Board Effectiveness

CASB provides opportunities for growth and skill building for governing teams, board members and superintendents at every experience level. From phone and email support, to online resources and annual events, CASB’s year-round leadership development offerings help members strengthen the effectiveness and relevance of their board.

Workshops and Retreats

CASB offers skilled facilitation and custom workshops and retreats for school boards’ continuous improvement and unique needs. CASB facilitators work with school boards in the following general areas:

Team building and leadership
High-performance governing
Constituent and community engagement
Conflict resolution
Effective meetings
Visioning and goal-setting
Strategic action and framework
Trust building
Roles and Responsibilities