When public board members are fully up to speed on governance, board operations and their own responsibilities, they’re even more effective: ably navigating risks and opportunities, confidently meeting legal and ethical expectations and maintaining community trust.

Especially in today’s environment of heightened expectations, scrutiny and complexity, school boards and city councils across the U.S. are making board training ‘business as usual’ — and with good reason. Regular education and development make board members more effective in their roles and keep them updated on governance best practices, new laws and emerging issues.

State regulators and authorities are recognizing the value — and necessity — of such training as well.

“The learning curve for a newly sworn-in board member is steep,” notes the 

 School Board Association. This is especially true in states like 

, which requires high schools to choose one or more students to serve as non-voting members of the board.

As a result, board training is the law for many publicly elected boards in the U.S., with mandates, contingencies and penalties that vary widely by jurisdiction. In 

, for example, school board presidents are responsible for ensuring board members receive annual training on open meetings provisions. In 

, school board members who don’t comply with board training mandates could face penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.

How can administrators navigate the nuances and keep up in this complicated, continually evolving landscape?

A practical guide follows to board training regulations in the U.S., diving deeper into:

Rules, requirements and resources by state

Tips for a compliant, effective training program

Ways to stay ahead as the regulatory landscape evolves

Board training regulations across the U.S.

The following states have training requirements for

 requires training for board chairs and superintendents.

In many cases, board training rules come with a mandated number of hours and a deadline for meeting these requirements, for new and returning board members alike. Board members in these jurisdictions should mark their calendars and allow time to meet their requirements.

Other board training requirements for ethics, open meetings and beyond

Beyond general orientations on a board member’s role and duties, jurisdictions often require training in specific topical areas.

For example, ethics is a commonly required subject. 

 require it for both school board members and 

Many states also require education in transparency areas like open meetings regulations. It’s something for school boards to watch for in 

 requires every board and commission to designate a member, officer or employee to receive open meetings training and for someone who’s received this training to be present at all meetings open to the public.

 requires annual open meetings training for municipal managers, mayors and the local chairs of legislative bodies.

 school board members and local government boards in 

 must undergo COIA (conflict of interest) training. 

 requires training in school management and finance, as does 

, along with education on the role and responsibilities of a board member and the duties and obligations of a board of education.

’s school board training requirements expand into employee-management relations and identifying and preventing violence

 mandates include cybersecurity, human trafficking and district-specific education topics

 require training for local officials involved in land use and planning

 has training requirements for all local government board members that supervise, control, or operate a public natural gas, public water or public sewer system

 mandates “refresher training,” and in 

, this includes board members in the second and third years of a first term, and in the first year of a re-elected or reappointed term.

’s State Board of Education can require any county board member to attend additional training if they believe that the training would be beneficial in assisting the member in successfully fulfilling their duties.

Resources abound for board training: guidebooks for local government by state authorities (

 sponsors the Academy of Good Governance.

In many states, not just any training resource will do. For municipal and county officials seeking land use and zoning orientation in 

, the South Carolina Association of Counties and Municipal Association of SC offer the only approved training program. And 

’s training requirement related to the Open Meetings Act can only be fulfilled by attending an event sponsored by the Utah Association of Special Districts or the Utah State Auditors Office.

 are among the states stipulating specific providers and/or approval of school board training content by a state authority. And some of these stipulations can be highly prescriptive, like those of the Associated School Boards of 

“The superintendent and board president should arrange a conference with new board members to review their roles and responsibilities. The new members should be taken on a district tour and be provided with: a map of the district; past and current surveys and reports on curriculum, teaching standards and certification school services, facilities, finances, and taxes; a calendar of business; and copies of minutes.”

The legislative landscape for board training is always evolving.

, for example, introduced a bill mandating eight hours of training for first-time municipal officers while the 

 recently proposed legislation requiring mandatory training for public charter school trustees.

’s House Bill 77 would add education on the state’s Freedom of Information Act and proper board meeting conduct to training requirements that currently cover topics such as special education and school finances. In 

, HF 706 would require training for newly elected public officials, including school board members, on open meetings and open records laws.

Not all of these efforts are successful. In 

, a bill was introduced in 2020 to require school board member training but it never progressed into official legislation. 

, for example, leaves school board training requirements open to individual bylaws.

, a single department of education and a single statewide board has long held oversight over public schools. But HB No. 287 proposes a new system of local school boards — membership which may very well come with board training requirements.

How to keep your board training compliant and effective

Even if state legislation, local policy or organizational bylaws don’t mandate regular board training (yet), school districts and city/county counsels should consider it imperative.

"Board professional development is not just nice to do; it is not a sideshow; and it cannot be delegated,” in the words of 

, long-time state school board trainer and lecturer.

Make sure that the training you deliver — to whom, when, where and how — meets all applicable mandates.

 Are you covering all topics related to ethics, accessibility and transparency, like ADA requirements and conflict of interest laws? Same with board operational and oversight skills. Consider curricula in finance, community relations, effective governance and strategic planning and decision-making.

 Augment retreats and workshops with bite-size digital quizzes, videos and modules, available online for board members on the go.

This is recommended for both auditability and continuous improvement.

 Laws change. Risks and opportunities in a district or community evolve. For these reasons alone, board training and education has to be an evolving journey, not a one-and-done.

Best practices for school board member training

Understanding municipal laws and compliance

Check out our comprehensive — and continually updated — regulatory roundups for 

How Diligent Community can help with board training

Even as the regulatory landscape evolves, the right board governance software can keep you and your board ahead of the curve. Diligent Community equips you with features that make training efficient, accessible and effective, including:

A centralized data repository that puts documents and materials in one convenient, secure place, from onboarding basics to timely refreshers

Annotation tools that help board members use “sticky notes”, highlighting and more while they are reviewing documents attached to agendas

Built in communications and notifications that board administrators can securely send straight from the portal, to keep board members engaged and on track

User home pages that put calendars, deadlines, next steps and more front and center — so no one misses a beat

Trackable workflows and approvals so administrators — and auditors — can easily see who did what, when, to demonstrate compliance and guide progress

Giving you even more peace of mind, Diligent Community is a cloud-based board management software offering secure servers and 256-bit encryption, the strongest level of encryption currently available. These elements ensure privacy and security for your board's most confidential and sensitive data.

Make sure your board training ticks all of the right regulatory boxes, while being a smooth experience for you and your board. 

Board training regulations: what public boards need to know

We are thrilled to welcome six exceptional partners to Diligent's 

: Accion Labs, A-LIGN, Compet-e, CyberData Pros., Optiv + ClearShark and RISCPoint. These strategic alliances will significantly enhance Diligent’s ability to deliver cutting-edge governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions to a broader range of customers, spanning diverse regions and industries.

The Diligent Partner Program is the first to offer partners a single source to meet all their GRC needs. Through the program, partners can build their GRC practices by referring and reselling, deploying, customizing, integrating and delivering advisory services on the Diligent One Platform.

: Enhancing IT Risk Management and Compliance

Accion Labs, a global technology service firm specializing in digital transformation, partnered with Diligent to deliver enhanced IT Risk Management, Enterprise Risk Management and IT Compliance capabilities. With a strong focus on cybersecurity, Acion’s partnership with Diligent will streamline risk management processes, strengthen security, and accelerate digital transformation for organizations. This collaboration expands Diligent’s reach in IT compliance while enabling Accion to enhance its value proposition in risk and strategy solutions.

"By partnering with Diligent, Accion Labs unite their technical expertise with our industry-leading compliance solutions. Together, we empower organizations to enhance security, streamline risk management, drive digital transformation and augment adoption of artificial intelligence," said Satyajit Bandyopadhyay, President & Chief Customer Officer at Accion Labs Inc.

Elevating compliance with expertise and credibility


A-LIGN is renowned for its high-quality, efficient cybersecurity compliance programs. As the number one issuer of SOC 2 and HITRUST certifications and a top three FedRAMP assessor, A-LIGN's partnership with Diligent will bring together industry-leading compliance software, expert advisory services, and credible third-party assessments to help organizations achieve and maintain FedRAMP compliance.

“Compliance is a team effort. Our partnership with Diligent simplifies FedRAMP by combining A-LIGN’s audit expertise with Diligent’s FedRAMP-authorized GRC platform. Together, we can reduce workloads, streamline evidence collection, and accelerate authorization, helping teams and auditors work more efficiently,” said Andrew Steioff, VP Global Strategic Alliances at A-LIGN.

: Tailored solutions for the Italian market


Compet-e, a prominent reseller of Diligent's GRC software solutions in Italy, will provide outstanding value to both existing and new customers. Compet-e helps organizations respond effectively to evolving compliance frameworks and risks; their deep knowledge of local processes and experience in areas such as The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), information security, and anti-money laundering, paired with Diligent’s world-leading GRC platform, will provide long-lasting support to Italian customers.

“Our partnership with Diligent is built on a shared commitment to excellence, ensuring our clients continue to receive the highest level of support they expect. By combining Compet-e’s deep expertise in compliance and risk management with Diligent’s industry-leading solutions, we empower medium-to-large enterprises to navigate evolving risk landscapes with confidence. This collaboration goes beyond implementation—it’s about long-term success, seamless integration, and delivering real value. Together, we’re shaping a future where businesses achieve compliance effortlessly while optimizing their operations for sustainable growth.” Piermaria Saglietto as the CEO and Founder of Compet-e.

CyberData Pros, a leading advisory firm specializing in FedRAMP and CMMC compliance. By combining Diligent’s IT Compliance platform with CyberData Pros’ hands-on expertise, customers can experience a streamlined compliance process, from assessments to audits, ensuring organizations meet federal security requirements faster. CyberData Pros complements Diligent’s automation and report capabilities, helping customers accelerate certification timelines and strengthen their security posture

“CyberData Pros brings cybersecurity expertise to our partnership with Diligent’s FedRAMP-authorized platform. Together, we help cloud service providers and government contractors streamline compliance, close security gaps, and accelerate certification," said Chris Arrendale, Founder and CEO at CyberData Pros.

Optiv + ClearShark, a leading cybersecurity and IT solutions provider for the U.S. federal government, has partnered with Diligent to enhance governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) capabilities for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. By combining Optiv’s deep federal cybersecurity expertise and established agency relationships with Diligent’s advanced compliance automation and reporting capabilities, the partnership delivers a seamless, end-to-end solution for strengthening security, streamlining compliance, and improving risk visibility for agency leadership.

"Sometimes the right tool matters. Running a compliance program, especially one that has to deal with the complexities of meeting the strict federal compliance requirements is hard. Having the right tool at least makes it doable and allows your team to focus on compliance. As the compliance world moves rapidly towards continuous monitoring, running a compliance program without the right tool will no longer be an option. I'm proud to have partnered with Diligent, which is not only a mature tool, but also meets the federal requirements to handle the most sensitive unclassified information. This allows the federal government and their contractors to fully leverage the capabilities of Diligent, especially the continuous monitoring capabilities which is key to all future compliance programs," said John Allison, Senior Director of Federal Advisory Services at Optiv + ClearShark

: Navigating FedRAMP and CMMC with confidence


RISCPoint, a trusted advisory firm, specializes in helping defense contractors and cloud service providers achieve FedRAMP authorization. With the implementation of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) rules this year, customers can benefit from RISCPoint’s expert advisory services along with Diligent’s leading compliance solutions to boost compliance and achieve FedRAMP authorization.

“At RISCPoint, we are committed to delivering best-in-class cybersecurity solutions to empower our clients to navigate the complex Public Sector regulatory landscape with confidence. Our partnership with Diligent combines our deep expertise in cybersecurity with Diligent’s FedRAMP authorized industry-leading governance, risk, and compliance technology. Together, we are enhancing the way organizations achieve and maintain compliance, streamlining processes, and ensuring long-term cybersecurity and success for our joint clients.” Jake Nix, RISCPoint CEO

We are excited about the opportunities these partnerships bring and look forward to working together to deliver exceptional GRC solutions to our clients.

Learn more about the Diligent Partner Program 

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Board training regulations: what public boards need to know

Diligent expands its partner program with six powerhouse additions: Accion Labs, A-LIGN, Compet-e, CyberData Pros., Optiv + ClearShark and RISCPoint

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