Small school districts are expected to meet the same benchmarks and documentation requirements as their larger local educational agency counterparts, but they face unique challenges including limited resources and much smaller teams to accomplish this. They also hold a powerful advantage: deep community connection and the ability to make a big impact quickly.

Recognizing these realities, CSBA has curated resources to better support small district leaders and help them navigate issues specific to their circumstances with the help of the association’s Small School District Advisory Workgroup.

Through participation in monthly virtual meetings, surveys, CSBA-hosted events and in-person gatherings, the workgroup helps identify and elevate policy, fiscal and operational issues impacting small school districts while providing valuable input that shapes CSBA resources, advocacy efforts and research.

CSBA launched a new landing page for small LEAs at csba.org/smallschools through which members can easily access dedicated content featuring information specific to small LEAs, including links to resources, research, legislative updates and more. This new page streamlines access to relevant CSBA resources and news, making it easier to stay informed and connected.

“Small school district leaders wear many hats and often have limited time and staff capacity. CSBA created this landing page to serve as a centralized hub where they can quickly access research, governance resources, advocacy updates and practical tools designed specifically for the realities of small LEAs,” explained CSBA Chief of Research and Education Policy Development Dr. Naomi Eason. “By streamlining access to these materials, we hope to help district leaders identify solutions, learn from their peers and strengthen local decision-making.”

Created for small school districts through support from the advisory workgroup, collected resources include:

• New research providing critical perspectives from superintendent-principals across the state highlights key findings and recommendations for small school board members to help them better understand and support those in this unique role that combines district and site leadership responsibilities.
• A repository of county office of education services available to small LEAs to offer greater visibility into services provided across counties, fostering opportunities for collaboration, networking and shared learning.
• Bylaws, fact sheets and more emphasizing the value of board training and professional development for effective governance and tools to communicate this effectively to local communities.
• The new Small Schools, Big Ideas campaign which spotlights the outstanding work happening in small LEAs across the state. This initiative highlights innovative programs, priorities and practices that other districts can learn from and potentially adapt to their own communities.

The webpage also includes research related to accessing and understanding data, documentation requirements and CSBA advocacy, briefs on artificial intelligence and instructional materials, policy guidance and more.

“The insights provided by our advisory workgroup members directly influence the resources and initiatives CSBA develops for small districts. The willingness of these trustees to elevate emerging issues, share best practices and identify areas of need helps the association better serve small school communities throughout the state,” Eason said. “We are deeply grateful to the current members who generously share their time, expertise and perspectives to help strengthen support for small LEAs statewide.”

Ongoing efforts for CSBA’s Small School District Advisory Workgroup will focus on sharing best practices, informing governance resources and advancing advocacy strategies that benefit small districts statewide.

“Let’s be honest, most of the people who are making decisions about education in the state of California don’t come from small communities,” said Craig DeLuz, workgroup member and board president of Robla School District in Sacramento County. “They don’t come from rural communities. They don’t know or understand the very unique issues that many small districts have to deal with. Having a working group brings together folks from urban small districts, rural small districts, very tiny districts as well as districts that are not big districts, but aren’t necessarily as tiny as some of the others. And it gives us an opportunity to talk about the unique issues and concerns that we have so that CSBA can actually understand and develop some policy initiatives that they can take to the California Legislature.”

Those interested in being considered for the Small School District Advisory Workgroup are encouraged to contact their Regional Director.