The Illinois Association of School Boards is a voluntary organization of local boards of education dedicated to strengthening the public schools through local citizen control. Although not a part of state government, IASB is organized by member school boards as a private not-for-profit corporation under authority granted by Article 23 of The Illinois School Code.

The Association was launched in December 1913, by a group of school board members at a meeting in Quincy, Illinois. Today, more than 98 percent of the school boards in Illinois hold active membership and support the Association through annual dues.

The Association's constitution provides that major policies be established by an annual Delegate Assembly and places governance in the hands of an elected board of directors. The board of directors, made up of officers and regional directors, employs an executive director and approves annual budgets to carry out the work of the Association through offices in Springfield (50 staff) and Lombard (28 staff).

Programs designed to provide leadership, service and advocacy for local school boards fall mainly into four broad categories:

• Professional development programs providing school board members with opportunities to increase their knowledge and skills;

• Governmental relations programs for representing the needs and views of member school boards;

• Direct services that range from on-site consulting and evaluation to workshops and policy development;

• Information services consisting of research, publishing and media relations.

The Illinois Association of School Boards also engages in a variety of governance, leadership and public relations activities and is a federation member of the National School Boards Association. IASB offers a number of fee-supported services and sponsors several risk management programs that are governed by and for participating school districts.