Business leaders have untapped potential to strengthen education in their communities through school board engagement. Through our on-the-ground work across the nation, we see this opportunity firsthand when meeting with business, community, and education leaders and learning about the needs in their communities. Recently, a business leader shared with us that they had noticed a dip in job applicants for entry-level jobs, and after some investigating, they realized one big issue: some applicants could not read well enough to complete a written application. Similarly, another business executive shared that their company analyzed customer's reasons for returning their products. One main problem? The products were not faulty; recipients just could not read the instructions for assembly.
When businesses are thinking about the academic building blocks for the skills of the future, it can be difficult to identify the place to start.
The answer? Their local school board.
While partnering with one local school board will not result in the large-scale transformation that is needed to boost literacy everywhere, on the local level, school boards critically influence how schools operate on the ground which is crucial to our economic competitiveness. The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs report shows that while employers prioritize higher-level skills like analytical thinking and technological literacy, for students to successfully build high-demand skills like AI and big data, students must master core academic skills like literacy and math during their K-12 education.
Every major decision affecting local education goes through the school board. Members approve district budgets, sign off on the curriculum the district purchases, hire superintendents, and set the overall vision for student success.
Given the amount of responsibility shared by school board members, it is important that the board is composed of knowledgeable, capable community members who can guide the district in the right direction. However, not many people can name the members of their local school board, much less recall the last conversation they had with them.
As experts on finance, human management, strategic planning, and more, business leaders have huge potential to partner with their local school board for good.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s recently released guide,“The Business Leader’s Guide to School Board Engagement,” offers practical information and tips for doing just that. Chamber and business leaders can use this guide to better understand the role of school board members and identify areas for collaboration with the business community.
The possibilities for how to get involved are plentiful—from running for school board member in the next local election or supporting members and candidates who will steward the responsibility well. The School Board Candidate Questionnaire that is included at the end of the report can be used to evaluate potential candidates or to host a public forum where community members can hear candidates’ responses.
Another opportunity is to schedule conversations with board members to share expertise and support. Business leaders have specific knowledge and perspective that could benefit local board members. Some topics and responsibilities may be new to school board members, and they would benefit from the support of community members who are thoughtfully engaged. One example of this is pension reform—where business leaders may have knowledge they can share on the structural and budgetary matters and speak to the benefit they could have on workforce retention.
The education system works better when the community is aware of the issues at stake, engages with the decision makers in the system, and holds leaders accountable for outcomes. We hope this guide empowers business leaders to actualize their potential and become a driving force for educational improvement in their communities.
About the authors
Kyle Butler
Kyle Butler is senior manager of K-12 education programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
