Serving Our Members!

The Ohio School Boards Association exists to serve its members, the public boards of education throughout Ohio. OSBA’s mission is to encourage and advance public elementary and secondary education through the unique American tradition of local citizen responsibility.
Created in 1955, OSBA is firmly committed to the concept of public education policy being determined by locally elected and appointed school board members. It serves as the professional association and representative of 100% of the state’s public board of education members.

Association members receive many services for their membership dues. A few of the basic membership services available free to all members include legislative representation, information and research on issues critical to school management, and consultation with experts in policy, labor and management relations, insurance, communication and finance. Members also have access to OSBA’s staff of attorneys.

For school districts that need additional help, OSBA has developed a variety of fee-based services. By charging for services that not every member district needs or uses, OSBA keeps its membership dues among the lowest of the state school boards associations.

Members have access to a wide range of specialized services through OSBA’s six divisions: business and finance, board development, communication and information services, legal services, legislative services, and management services. A full- and part-time professional staff — including attorneys, specialists in board and management development, lobbyists, financial experts and other professionals — are employed in our north Columbus office.

OSBA membership is open to all Ohio public school boards. Charter schools chartered by member districts and school district attorneys who join the Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys are entitled to attend workshops and seminars, exchange information about court cases on a periodic basis and receive several publications. Former school board members can join as sustaining members.