Kern County board agrees to join new county-boards association; staff to submit paperwork

The Kern County Board of Education agreed during its meeting to join the newly formed Association of California County Boards of Education, known in the discussion as ACCBE, and directed staff to submit membership paperwork and pay the applicable annual dues.

Trustees discussed the move after staff summarized the organization’s purpose and structure. Dr. Mindenborough, speaking for the county office, said the board had received an invitation to consider membership and described ACCBE as “very similar to how it was before” when county boards had a distinct county-board component within the California School Boards Association (CSBA). He said ACCBE would restore direct county-board representation that had been folded into CSBA’s Area 14 and that the organization is supported by the California County Superintendents Association. “For a district of our size, it would probably be around 5,000,” he said when asked about annual dues.

Board President Mary Little said ACCBE would function as a separate legal entity that offers training and a legislative voice for county boards, listing topics such as preschool literacy, charter appeals, career-technical education and supports for rural counties. “They are also a legislative body, and they also do trainings throughout the year,” Little said.

Trustees asked about logistics, including delegate appointments and meeting frequency. Dr. Mindenborough said member counties would appoint or elect a representative to ACCBE and that the organization meets regularly with the state county-superintendents association; delegates typically meet roughly three times a year and may attend workshops online. Trustees also discussed the ability to opt out after joining; Dr. Mindenborough said counties could withdraw if the membership proved unsatisfactory.

No formal roll-call motion or recorded vote was taken during the discussion. Board members indicated unanimous assent and instructed staff to proceed with enrollment and paperwork for the county to join ACCBE. The board noted about 70% of California counties have already signed on to the new group.

Members also asked that information about ACCBE be circulated to the full board, including sample materials and meeting dates, and clarified that existing CSBA membership would continue to provide district-level resources.

The board did not adopt a formal ordinance or resolution on the floor during this item; rather, the action recorded in the meeting was direction to staff to complete enrollment and return with any required documentation.