Empowering School Boards. Informing Taxpayers. Serving Students

School boards exist to give local communities control over public education, not to rubber-stamp division agendas or yield to outside political pressure.

Since launching in 2023, the School Board Member Alliance has become one of the nation's fastest-growing organizations for school board members. Today, SBMA members govern divisions serving nearly 465,000 students, representing almost 40 percent of Virginia's public school enrollment. When parents and families are included, the decisions made by SBMA-supported boards impact well over one million Virginians.

SBMA does not lobby. We equip school board members with the knowledge, training, policy resources, and professional support they need to govern effectively, strengthen academic achievement, uphold parental involvement, promote transparency, and keep schools focused on their core mission: educating children.

Join us today!


Who does SBMA Empower?

SBMA empowers bold leaders who are shaping the future of education in Virginia. Through comprehensive resources and professional development, we provide the knowledge and skills needed to drive student success, strengthen school board governance, and influence impactful educational policy.

School Board Members

Be an effective leader from day one. Gain the essential training, legal insights, and policy knowledge needed to make informed decisions that restore and protect academic excellence in your school district.

Candidates

Prepare to serve with confidence. SBMA ensures candidates are well-versed in the responsibilities, legal duties, and governance expectations of a school board member—so they are ready to lead the moment they take office.

Parents

Stay informed and engaged in your child’s education. Know your rights, understand key policies, and have a voice in the decisions that impact your family and community.

Taxpayers

Hold school boards accountable. Ensure your tax dollars support a system that prioritizes academic achievement, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

SBMA’s Core Beliefs

SBMA believes every child deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in life. We equip school board members with the knowledge, resources, and support they need to govern effectively, strengthen academic achievement, uphold parental involvement, and ensure responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Our mission is simple: keep schools focused on educating children, empower local communities, and help school boards make decisions that put students first.


  • Academic Excellence & High Expectations: Every student deserves access to a challenging, high-quality education. Schools should prioritize academic achievement, literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and career readiness while maintaining rigorous standards and rewarding hard work and achievement.
  • Student-Focused Governance: School boards should make decisions based on what is best for students. Academic outcomes, school safety, and educational opportunity should remain the primary focus of every board action.
  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Education decisions should be guided by measurable results, not ideology. School boards should regularly review student achievement data and use evidence to evaluate programs, curriculum, budgets, and initiatives.
  • Parental Involvement & Transparency: Parents are a child's first and most important teachers. Families have the right to be informed, engaged, and respected as partners in their children's education.
  • Local Control & Community Representation: School boards exist to represent their communities. Decisions affecting local schools should be made by locally elected leaders who understand the needs, values, and priorities of the families they serve.
  • Safe, Orderly, and Politics-Free Schools: Students learn best in environments that are safe, respectful, and focused on education. Schools should maintain clear expectations for behavior and minimize political distractions that interfere with learning.
  • Strong Teachers & Effective Leadership: Teachers are essential to student success. Schools should support, retain, and develop high-quality educators while ensuring leaders are accountable for results and focused on continuous improvement.
  • Transparency, Accountability & Fiscal Responsibility: Taxpayer resources should be directed toward improving student outcomes. School boards have a responsibility to promote transparency, exercise sound financial oversight, and ensure spending decisions support classrooms and academic achievement.

Governor Glenn Youngkin praised the School Board Member Alliance for its rapid growth and impact across Virginia.

Your support helps equip school board members with the training, resources, and governance tools they need to keep schools focused on academic achievement, parental involvement, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. As demand for SBMA's services continues to grow, every tax-deductible donation helps us reach more leaders, strengthen more communities, and support school boards serving nearly 465,000 Virginia students.

Make a difference; donate now.



As a board member, I’ve been attending professional development symposiums for years and this is by far the best one I’ve ever attended.
SBMA Member Testimonial
SBMA Member
Last week we had a training from the Board Attorney and those of us who are members of SBMA could respond knowledgeably to some of what we were told due to information from you all. Thank you
SBMA Testimonial
SBMA Member
First let me say you are doing an amazing job with so many new informational opportunities! I love SBMA and want to do all I can to support and grow SBMA.
SBMA Member Testimonial
SBMA Member


Meet Our Executive Director

Behind SBMA’s success is a dedicated group of professionals who are passionate about supporting school board members and improving education in Virginia. Leading that team is an executive director who brings a depth of experience, a shared commitment to excellence, and a solid understanding of the challenges facing school boards today.

Learn More About our Executive Director


Not a School Board Member? You Can Still Make a Difference!

SBMA’s success depends on supporters like you, those who believe in empowering school board members, protecting academic excellence, and keeping education student-focused in Virginia. By becoming a Friend of SBMA, you’ll help provide the resources, training, and advocacy needed to push back against bureaucracy, uphold common sense values, and restore accountability. Join us today to strengthen our schools and ensure every student receives a quality education!

Support SBMA’s mission today


© 2023-Present | School Board Member Alliance (SBMA) | All rights reserved.

SBMA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering school board members and advancing excellence in education.


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