County boards of education are the governing body for California’s 58 county offices of education (COEs), which provide services directly to their counties’ most vulnerable student populations through county office-run juvenile court schools and county community schools. County boards govern these schools while the day-to-day operations are handled by the county superintendent. Other county board duties include charter school petition approvals, denials and oversight, interdistrict transfer and expulsion appeal hearings, purchase and leasing of real property, and approval of the COE budget, annual audit and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).
County boards of education are critical to student success, particularly the success of high-need students who are served by county office schools. CSBA recognizes the special role county boards play in education at the local level and is committed to providing the information, resources and advocacy you need to perform your governance duties at the highest level.
CSBA will continue to expand the number of offerings designed for counties because we recognize that the county board experience is unique and requires custom support and services.
County Board Governance Materials:
County Board Governance Handbook: Digital | Printed
County Board Governance Handbook Webinar Series: Register
View archived webinar links here
Professional Governance Standards for county boards of education
About California County Boards of Education
CSBA's County Office of Education Resource Directory is designed to help districts and county offices of education (COE) identify services and supports available through county offices of education across California. Users may search by service category on the spreadsheet to identify potential partners within their own county or in neighboring counties.
Information contributed by COEs may include brief descriptions of services, points of contact, or notes about availability. This document will be updated bi-annually. Because services and programs evolve over time, users are encouraged to reach out directly to the listed COE for the most current information.
Download County Office of Education Resource Directory
Sample county board policies
CSBA offers a series of sample board policies for use by county offices of education and through GAMUT Policy. The samples reflect recent legislation, court decisions and educational trends, and are easy to customize to specific local needs.
GAMUT Policy provides easy access to CSBA sample policies, regulations and bylaws, pertinent laws and other resources. Updated continuously throughout the year, GAMUT includes sample board bylaws and policy samples for county offices of education, the entire Education Code, Title 5, other relevant state and federal code sections, California Department of Education advisories, and a “keyword” index. Learn more.
For more information regarding pricing, subscriptions, or to request a free demo, please call (800) 266-3382 or email gamut@csba.org.
CSBA spotlight on county offices
County Board Golden Bell Winners
2025
- Alameda COE | Teacher Recruitment and Retention | Professional Advancement and Training Hub (PATH)
- Fresno COE | Family and Community Engagement | Count Play Explore
- Los Angeles COE | Civic Education | Senior Capstone Project
- Monterey COE | County Office Systems of Support | Dream Big Monterey: Science of Reading Academy
- Napa COE | Curriculum and Instruction: Literacy/English Language Arts | Lead to Literacy
- Sacramento COE | Career Technical Education | Sacramento County Office of Education’s Career Pipeline
- Santa Clara COE | Civic Education | Student Wellness Advisory Group (SWAG) Advocacy Subcommittee
- Shasta COE | Student Support Services Shasta County Office of Education | Food Pantry Program
2024
- Butte COE | Professional Learning | Far North Literacy Development Consortium
- Fresno COE | Student Support Services | Gallup Strengths Leadership Academy
- Kings COE | Student Engagement and Empowerment | Stories with Style
- Los Angeles COE | Professional Learning | Getting Reading Right
- Napa COE | Early Childhood Education | NIP Plays: An Innovative Program for Young Children with Special Needs
- Orange COE | Professional Learning | OCDE Language Services
- Sacramento COE | Expanded Learning and Engagement | SCOE Arts Programs
- Santa Barbara COE | Reducing Barriers through Inclusive, Equitable Resource Distribution and Opportunities | Partners in Education
- Santa Cruz COE | Student Engagement and Empowerment | Youth Led Leadership Alliance
- Shasta COE | Reducing Barriers through Inclusive, Equitable Resource Distribution and Opportunities | Community Connect
Webinar Summary