District Professional Membership - $275 Annually

District Professional memberships are available to any individual performing school business related functions and employed by a public, private or parochial school, college or university. Memberships are also available to individuals employed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, educational cooperatives, and consortia. Typical responsibilities for District Professionals may include business administration, finance, accounting, facilities, transportation, food service, purchasing, bookkeeping, or technology.

Optional ASBO membership: When you join WASBO, you also have the option to join ASBO International. Find out more about ASBO at www.asbointl.org. Your shopping cart will include ASBO dues – if you prefer not to join ASBO, simply zero out the $275 amount shown and uncheck the ASBO line item, then click the Add to Cart button to add only the WASBO District Professional dues.

WASBO District Professional and Retiree memberships include:

• Access to WASBO's Buyers Guide Directory. With 100 categories featuring every product and service from Access Control Systems to Windows, the Buyer's Guide allows District Professionals and Service Affiliates to easily find each other.
• The WASBO ConNectwork Forum, a collaborative virtual community for members to network and share resources 
• An email subscription to Wisconsin Education News, a daily synopsis of school-related news clippings from around the state
•  Subscription to the quarterly Taking Care of Business publication and the monthly WASBO Focus e-newsletter with legislative updates, book reviews, industry articles, WASBO leadership columns and more
• Full access to WASBO GO, the organization's association app
• Professional and social networking events with peers to foster a support network and build relationships
• Scholarship opportunities for professional development
• Access to national resources and participation in leadership roles with ASBO International
• Mentorship program for emerging school business officials
• No fee purchasing card program to provide school districts with processing efficiencies and purchasing rebates
• Advocacy, including a voice to the state legislature through the School Administrators Alliance
• Interpretation of new legislation
• Vendor product and service resources
• Committee participation
• WSLC Career Center
• Fundraising events to support over $25,000 annually in Wisconsin student scholarships
• Facilities Manager Core Certification and Certified School Risk Managers designation programs
• Member Directory on App and Website 
• Speak at conferences & submit articles to WASBO publications to share expertise 
• WASBO's Professional recognition program 
• Member rate for professional development
• Full voting rights to elect WASBO Board of Directors 
• Track your professional participation and access conference materials on your  WASBO profile
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Service Affiliate Membership - $275 Annually

Service Affiliate memberships are available to those who work for businesses that provide products & services to educational institutions.

WASBO Service Affiliate memberships include:

• Access to purchasing decision makers in Wisconsin's school districts
• Opportunity to be listed in WASBO's Buyers Guide Directory. With 100 categories featuring every product and service from Access Control Systems to Windows, the Buyer's Guide allows District Professionals and Service Affiliates to easily find each other!
• An email subscription to Wisconsin Education News, a daily synopsis of school-related news clippings from around the state
• Subscription to the Taking Care of Business publication and the monthly WASBO Focus e-newsletter with legislative updates, book reviews, industry articles, WASBO leadership columns and more
• Full access to WASBO GO, the organization's association app
• Professional and social events with district professionals to foster relationship building
• Opportunities to share your expertise by speaking at conferences or submitting an informational article for Taking Care of Business or WASBO Focus
• Interpretation of new legislation
• Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities at discounted prices WASBO conferences and seminars
• Access to national resources through ASBO International
• Committee and Goal Action Team participation opportunities
• Online Career Center
• Advertising opportunities at discounted prices in the Taking Care of Business publication, WASBO Focus e-newsletter, Wisconsin Education News and WASBO GO
• Scholarship fundraising events
• Online Electronic Resource Center (ERC) offering a variety of RFPs, agreements, contract language, checklists, and best practices information on topics including Facilities Management, Payroll, Budgeting, Transportation, HR, and more, all submitted by business officials around the country.
• Opportunities to participate in Facilities Manager and School Risk Manager Certification programs
• Online Member Directory access
• Representation on the Board of Directors

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Student Membership - $145 Annually

Student memberships are available to undergraduate and graduate students who are not currently serving in a school business role.

WASBO Student memberships include:

• An email subscription to Wisconsin Education News, a daily synopsis of school-related news clippings from around the state
• Subscription to the Taking Care of Business publication and the monthly WASBO Focus e-newsletter with legislative updates, book reviews, industry articles, WASBO leadership columns and more.
• Online Electronic Resource Center (ERC) offering a variety of RFPs, agreements, contract language, checklists, and best practices information on topics including Facilities Management, Payroll, Budgeting, Transportation, HR, and more, all submitted by your Wisconsin peers and business officials around the country.
• On-line Career Center
• Professional and social events with peers to develop a support network
• Scholarship opportunities for professional development and participation in leadership roles with ASBO International
• Professional and personal development, including an option to be mentored by a seasoned professional
• A voice to the state legislature through the School Administrators Alliance
• Interpretation of new legislation
• Vendor product and service resources, including WASBO's Online Buyer's Guide
• Access to national resources through ASBO International
• Committee and Goal Action Team participation opportunities
• Scholarship fundraising events
• The WASBO ConNectwork Forum, a collaborative on-line community for members to ask and answer questions, and build a repository of school business knowledge
• Free access to QEI, a tool for managing your Professional Development Plan (PDP) or participating in the review process for a peer's PDP
• Opportunities to participate in Facilities Manager certification and Certified School Risk Manager designation programs
• Online Member Directory access

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Retiree Membership - $75 Annually

Retired memberships are available to those no longer working in District Professional capacities. For assistance in converting your WASBO membership from a District Professional membership type to a Retiree membership type, please call the WASBO office at 608.249.8588 or email [email protected]. As a District Professional, get your first year of WASBO membership free by contacting [email protected].

WASBO District Professional and Retiree memberships include:

• The WASBO ConNectwork Forum, a collaborative virtual community for members to network and share resources 
• An email subscription to Wisconsin Education News, a daily synopsis of school-related news clippings from around the state
•  Subscription to the quarterly Taking Care of Business publication and the monthly WASBO Focus e-newsletter with legislative updates, book reviews, industry articles, WASBO leadership columns and more
• Full access to WASBO GO, the organization's association app
• Professional and social networking events with peers to foster a support network and build relationships
• Scholarship opportunities for professional development
• Access to national resources and participation in leadership roles with ASBO International
• Mentorship program for emerging school business officials
• No fee purchasing card program to provide school districts with processing efficiencies and purchasing rebates
• Advocacy, including a voice to the state legislature through the School Administrators Alliance
• Interpretation of new legislation
• Vendor product and service resources
• Committee participation
• WSLC Career Center
• Fundraising events to support over $25,000 annually in Wisconsin student scholarships
• Facilities Manager Core Certification and Certified School Risk Managers designation programs
• Member Directory on App and Website 
• Speak at conferences & submit articles to WASBO publications to share expertise 
• WASBO's Professional recognition program 
• Member rate for professional development
• Full voting rights to elect WASBO Board of Directors 
• Track your professional participation and access conference materials on your  WASBO profile 

Enriching Professional Development

Of course in these challenging times, you need, and WASBO provides, so much more. WASBO offers outstanding educational opportunities that feature both national and local speakers and include:

• New School Administrator & Support Staff Conference
• Fall Conference
• Midwest Facility Masters Conference
Winter at a Glance
• School Business Office Professionals Conference
• Federal Funding Conference
• Facilities Management Conference
• Accounting Conference
• Spring Conference
• Custodial & Maintenance Conferences

Additionally, WASBO currently offers two certification programs:

• WASBO Facilities Manager Core Certification Program: This program helps develop a knowledge base for Building & Grounds/Facilities leaders, and to provide safe and healthful educational facilities in the State of Wisconsin.
• Certified School Risk Managers Designation Program: This program will provide you with the in-depth knowledge of the risk management process and terminology based on the philosophy and theory of school risk management. The CSRM curriculum and national designation are provided by The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research.
• COMING SOON: WASBO will launch WASBO University for those in the business office to further their understanding of school finances.

WASBO also has two year-long programs meant to hone educational stakeholder's leadership skills, and help those new to the profession thrive:

• Wally Zastrow Leadership Academy: How often do you think about your leadership development? No matter what your title is, you lead every day. You lead your boss, you lead your colleagues, and you lead yourself. The Academy provides practical leadership skills for school business officials. The academy runs annually from around October to April.
• Year of Success: Regardless of one's work background or degree, if you are new to the school business office you are sure to find the learning curve is steep. Little can prepare you for the reporting requirements, calculations, and statutes you must navigate, and the shear volume of responsibilities can seem overwhelming. With these concerns in mind, WASBO, in cooperation with the School Financial Services Team at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), is pleased to present The Year of Success Program — a six-conference package designed to offer new business managers, bookkeepers, and district administrators with the timely knowledge they need to succeed in a typical school business office year.

Finally, WASBO has multiple publications to ensure our members know the latest news and meet ever-changing challenges:

• Taking Care of Business: A quarterly publication featuring the latest information from government, the DPI, and experts in a wide variety of specialties that impact school districts, as well as WASBO updates from the Executive Director and members of the board of directors.
• WASBO Focus: This monthly e-newsletter offers members a timely look at news affecting the association and the profession as a whole!
• Wisconsin Education News: A daily (or weekly depending on your preference) email blast of news clippings concerning schools from around the state!
• Members can subscribe to all three of these services by selecting the proper communication preference in their member profile. 

Advocating for Funding

Advocacy is a critical component of WASBO's Mission statement which reads in part "to advocate for funding that ensures outstanding educational opportunities for all children in Wisconsin." WASBO is a proud member of the School Administrators Alliance, a statewide organization established to provide five associations of public school administrators with government relations services and a unified political voice. The alliance is comprised of: the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA), Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO), Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA), Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS), Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Administrators (WASPA). As the combined government relations arm of these five associations, the SAA represents the interests of Wisconsin school children and Wisconsin public schools before the State Legislature, the Office of the Governor and the state agencies. The SAA supports legislation that improves Wisconsin public schools and the quality of education for Wisconsin school children. While the School Administrators Alliance (SAA) provides a unified voice for all Wisconsin school administrators before state government, advocacy need not and must not stop there. WASBO encourages all of its members to become involved in local, regional, state and national issues impacting the quality of education for children.

To enhance WASBO's advocacy efforts, WASBO created a Research Director position, leading our mission to practice fact-based, non-partisan school funding advocacy that informs and promotes change. Anne Chapman serves as WASBO's first Research Director. She previously worked at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, where she served as a Senior Researcher. Anne's research often focused on education funding, including the state budget for public education, analysis of Wisconsin's rank in school spending, special education funding, ELL funding, ESSA school-based spending, and more.

Fostering a Network of Support

A  WASBO membership provides you with critical tools, timely information, and valuable networking to help you and your organization take full advantage of funding opportunities, efficiency improvements, new technologies, procedures and practices, and cutting-edge products and services. Here are a few of the ways WASBO members can connect:

• WASBO’s ConNectwork: WASBO’s online community allows district professionals to connect & network with their peers online. In the Member Discussion, WASBO members can ask and answer questions, network with their peers and share their expertise!
• WASBO’s Buyers Guide Directory: With more than 100 different categories of products and services, WASBO's Buyers Guide Directory makes it easier than ever to find Service Affiliates who offer what you're looking for! With every product and service from Access Control Systems to Windows, the Buyer's Guide allows District Professionals and Service Affiliates to easily find each other. All active members can view the Buyer's Guide after signing into their WASBO Account. Just click on one of the 100 different categories to be shown a list of all the companies who offer that product or service and have at least one of active Service Affiliate membership. District Professionals can then click on each individual company to find a company description, a complete listing of products and services, and contact information for all of the company representatives who have active memberships.
• WASBO’s Mentorship Program: The mentorship program is designed to accomplish the following specific goals: To provide opportunities for new school business officials to acquire the performance skills and knowledge necessary for the effective implementation of their job responsibilities To provide a resource in order to facilitate decision making associated with the particularly difficult challenges and problems that occur within the frame of reference of a school business official’s position To develop a cadre of experienced school business officials who would be willing to participate in the implementation of mentor activities 
The employers of both the mentor and protégé benefit from the growth of each individual. The school district that employs the protégé benefits from the more rapid development of the individual.
• WASBO Go App: WASBO GO is the official Association App of the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials. WASBO’s mission of providing support for business, facilities, human resources and operations officials across the state is the same, but this new method of support ensures our members are now more connected to their association and each other than ever. Make the most of your professional development and networking experience by downloading the WASBO GO App. WASBO GO offers our entire professional development calendar at your fingertips. In the app, you’re able to register for conferences, view sessions and tracks, take notes on those sessions, see speaker information, send your evaluations, view exhibit halls, connect with attendees and exhibitors, and much more all in one app. It’s also never been easier to connect with your colleagues, service affiliates and speakers. All of their contact information is right in your pocket. Send messages, post to forums and get support. Members can now easily view, update and add to their member profile and have all of WASBO’s resources easily at their disposal, including social media accounts, publications, education news, a member directory, ways to get more involved with WASBO, the WSCL Career Center, and so much more! WASBO GO even has resources for non-members, such as member benefits and an all-encompassing easy-to-use directory of all of WASBO’s Resources. 
• Regional Meetings: WASBO has seven regional groups that meet anywhere from quarterly to monthly. Each regional group sets their own meeting schedule and agendas. Visit your Regional’s page to find contact information for the regional rep and information on where and when they meet. Go to the WASBO Calendar to find specific information on meeting times, locations, and agendas. The Regionals are Northwest, Wisconsin Valley, Northeast & Bay Area, Madison Area, Southeast, Southwest and West Central. We hope you’ll consider being active in your WASBO regional!
• WASBO’s Professional Recognition & Scholarship Programs: WASBO is fortunate to count among its ranks many outstanding District Professionals who work tirelessly on behalf of their school districts and Wisconsin’s children. In recognition of the tremendous work our members perform, WASBO has created several annual awards to honor those who truly go above and beyond in their service to their school district, their community and WASBO. These awards are an opportunity to showcase WASBO members’ contributions to their districts, and to provide the public with a better understanding of the exemplary work WASBO members do to benefit students. Additionally, WASBO recognizes that educational opportunities are critical throughout an individual’s life. WASBO Foundation is therefore committed to providing several scholarships that provide financial assistance for both students in undergraduate and graduate school programs. The Foundation thanks our sponsors, members and donors who help to fund these educational opportunities.
• Join a Committee or run for a seat on the WASBO Board of Directors: WASBO’s conferences & publications wouldn’t be possible without the help of our committees, and the Board of Directors helps WASBO set direction, ensure resources, and provide oversight! If you’re interested in serving on a committee or the Board, please contact [email protected].