Member Access
Online Sponsors
Annual Report
2009-2010
Unlike any year in the lives of current school board members and educators, the 2009-10 school year brought challenges that tested leadership skills and increased the value of membership in the Colorado Association of School Boards. CASB was there to lead, advocate, train and support all 178 school districts across Colorado. While many organizations and individuals advocate for public education, CASB is the only statewide organization that represents local school boards and their districts. The highlights below describe our work this year on behalf of members.Download a PDF of the front page of our annual report, or read below.
CASB was there to help you tackle tough issues
- The Fall Conference, Annual Convention and Winter Legislative Conference all had sessions dealing with the ramifications of budget cuts—from legal issues to communication concerns.
- CASB eClassrooms provided a cost-effective, web-based platform for members to learn about legal issues concerning budget-related staffing cuts and communicating the difficult task of budget cutting.
- The Member Relations Team facilitated numerous local and regional school leadership discussions concerning the emerging realities of school funding. Many of these discussions focused on ways districts can collaborate to save valuable school resources. Member Relations also worked closely with local board teams on creating healthy leadership environments to build trust among board members and within the community.
[pic]
CASB provided leadership for school finance and constitutional reform
- CASB’s Advocacy Team fought for a school finance bill that limited budget cuts and established a more equitable way to implement them. CASB also protected local budgets by successfully lobbying against unfunded mandates, for example, an arts graduation requirement that instead the State Board of Education will review with other graduation guidelines in 2010.
- Through member-driven resolution, CASB joined with the Colorado Association of School Executives to lead a fundraising effort for the Lobato v. State of Colorado school funding lawsuit. CASB’s successful campaign to raise funds from school districts will help pay for legal efforts that, if successful, could lead to constitutional changes in how schools are funded and how well they are funded.
- CASB is a participant and school board voice in all major efforts to reform Colorado’s constitutional tax code and in efforts to block new constitutional amendments like 60 and 61 on this year’s ballot.
[pic]
CASB helped shape education reform with local boards in mind
- The CASB Advocacy Team was a visible leader in the controversial and historic legislation that established a new process for teacher and principal evaluation. Senate Bill 191 changes how teachers gain and keep tenure and ties student achievement to teacher and principal effectiveness. CASB successfully lobbied for flexibility to determine the evaluation process locally and spread the implementation schedule over five years to give districts time to prepare.
- CASB's Member Legal Resources Team made a significant impact on State Board of Education rules to better protect members' interests, including: school and district accreditation under SB 09-163; student food allergies; use of restraint in schools; and students' Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAPs). CASB didn't achieve all the changes it wanted, but CASB's lobbying efforts and legal expertise made each of these rules better.
- Other advocacy efforts included a financial transparency bill that blocked a more restrictive bill and influencing charter school bills that strengthen the charter process and provide emergency powers to the commissioner of education.
[pic]
CASB services supported members
- Members received valuable and timely information on new laws and their policy implications via “Policy Parameters” and “Special Policy Updates” from CASB's Member Legal Resources and Policy teams.
- CASB’s Communications Team made sure members were informed on important developments from all corners of CASB. Through casb.org, Billboard, Legal Updates, Policy Parameters and other e-mail updates, CASB kept members up to date.
[pic]
Financial Information
| Income 2008-09 | |
| Membership Dues (58%) | $1,314,396.00 |
| Affiliates/Commercial Affiliates/BOCES Dues (2%) | 34,142.00 |
| Conferences/Convention (27%) | 610,096.00 |
| Policy Services (3%) | 90,363.00 |
| Other Services (8%) | 197,876.00 |
| Other Income (2%) | 45,754.00 |
| TOTAL | $2,293,437.00 |
| Expenses 2008-09 | |
| Operating – General (36%) | $841,335.00 |
| Conferences/Convention (22%) | 517,873.00 |
| Policy Services (9%) | 226,488.00 |
| Legal Services (8%) | 187,855.00 |
| Communication Services (6%) | 140,564.00 |
| Other Services (6%) | 139,430.00 |
| Member Relations (6%) | 136,158.00 |
| Public Affairs/Advocacy (7%) | 147,955.00 |
| TOTAL | $2,337,658.00 |
2008-09 Audited Fund Balance
July 1, 2008 Balance - $77,129Revenues – 2,294,247
Expenditures – 2,337,658
June 30, 2009 Balance – 33,718