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Information for New Board Members

NJSBA—your Association—is here to listen to your concerns, develop effective solutions to the challenges you face, and help you grow in your role as a board member.

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State Mandated Training – Governance I

New Jersey state law requires new school board members and charter school trustees to attend training within 90 days of taking office. Please note that if you previously were a board member and have had a break in service of three years or longer, you must complete Governance I again, and the same 90-day regulation applies.

Board members in the second and third years of a first term, and in the first year of a re-elected or reappointed term must also complete mandated training. The New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) is the state-designated provider of Mandated Training, which is available at no cost to members.

NJSBA offers several methods for new board members to complete their training.  For more information on programs, visit the Mandated Training webpage.

Membership Guide

As an elected or appointed school official, you have earned membership in a dynamic education association. This is your guide to the wealth of opportunities that NJSBA provides.

Helpful Information

NJSBA Resources

Field Services

Your field service representative (FSR) is a wonderful resource and your district’s primary point of contact with NJSBA.

Labor Relations

NJSBA provides resources, training, and advice to help your district meet its labor relations challenges, including negotiations strategy, salary guide development, and responding to union activities. Review the following document: Labor Relations for School Board Members: Too Important to Ignore

Policy

NJSBA Policy Services provides resources and direct assistance to guide your district in developing documents that meet state and federal requirements and reflect the local school board’s beliefs in education. Review the document: Policy and You, The New School Board Member

NJSBA attorneys provide training, legal information, and research, and lead NJSBA’s participation as a “friend of the court” in cases of statewide significance.

NJSBA Cooperative Pricing System

The NJSBA Cooperative Pricing System saves time and money on procurement by eliminating the need for your district to undergo the competitive bidding process. We’ve done the work for you so that your schools can benefit from low rates. The CPS offers solutions for products and services related to energy, technology, cybersecurity, e-rate consulting, and more.

Exclusive Content

NJSBA offers a variety of resources available exclusively to our membership. To view them, you must be signed into our website with your NJSBA credentials.

NJSBA’s 3Rs: Roles, Resources, and Responsibilities

NJSBA hosts regional virtual programs designed to provide important information for new, and not-so-new board members. The programs cover a variety of topics and offer many opportunities to ask questions and network with board members from other districts.

Fundamentals of School Board Membership

NJSBA’s anthology on the basics of board membership includes articles on topics ranging from board-superintendent relations and tips for new board members to the board’s role in curriculum and in finance. The book also includes a Glossary of Education Terms and Acronyms. This publication is available as a free PDF only to NJSBA members.

Publications

School Board Notes is NJSBA’s weekly education news report, which offers up-to-date information on legislation, court decisions and other developments affecting school districts in New Jersey. School Leader is NJSBA’s quarterly magazine, which focuses on trends and issues of interest to boards of education and their top administrators.

NJSBA Partner EdVantage Directory

The Partner EdVantage Directory connects districts with partnering businesses for solutions to manage board operations. NJSBA and its partners are committed to supporting public education with high quality products and services to meet our members’ needs.