CSBA believes in recognizing the extraordinary work of school districts and county offices of education across California. Don’t let outstanding achievements go unnoticed — submit applications for all Golden Awards categories before the deadline on Friday, June 26, at midnight.

The CSBA Golden Awards honor the hard work and dedication of governing boards and district staff who create innovative programs that improve student achievement and well-being in the state’s preK-12 public schools.

“The Golden Awards matter because they shine a light on the innovation, heart and hard work happening in districts and county offices across the state,” said Amy Christianson, CSBA Chief, Conferences and Member Experience. “Applying isn’t about recognition alone — it’s about sharing stories that inspire others and celebrating the impact being made for students and communities.”

The Golden Bell Awards promote excellence in education and school board governance by recognizing outstanding programs and governance practices of school boards in districts and COEs throughout California. Golden Bell Awards reflect the depth and breadth of education programs and governance decisions supporting these programs that are necessary to address students’ changing needs. Program categories and other details can be found at awards.csba.org/golden-bell.

Golden Bell Award winners will be celebrated during the Golden Bell Award Ceremony on Dec. 3 at the 2026 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show (AEC) in San Diego.

The Golden Gavel category includes two separate awards, Board Member of the Year and Governance Team of the Year. The Board Member of the Year Award is given to an individual board member who exemplifies best practices in effective governance and boardsmanship, which are the skills, behaviors and ethical attributes required to be an effective member of a board. The Governance Team of the Year Award is given to a governance team that exemplifies best practices in effective governance and boardsmanship.

Golden Gavel winners will be announced and receive their award during one of the General Sessions at AEC.

Finally, the Golden Quill Awards highlight the essential role that journalists play in increasing understanding of the objectives, operations, accomplishments, challenges and opportunities related to public schools. The Golden Quill is given in recognition of fair, insightful and accurate reporting on public school news by individual print, broadcast and online news media representatives. Golden Quill winners will be acknowledged during the Second General Session at AEC.