The following awards will be presented during the 2026 NCSBA Annual Conference Awards Ceremony.
Raleigh Dingman Award
The Raleigh Dingman Award is the highest honor bestowed on a North Carolina school board member each year and is named in honor of Raleigh Dingman, NCSBA’s first full-time executive secretary. Since 2003, recipients of this honor have served as an ex-officio member of the NC State Board of Education and the NCSBA Board of Directors. The honoree will be expected to attend meetings of both organizations.
Champion of Education Award
The Champion of Education Award recognizes those individuals, businesses, community members, school district administrators and employees, state legislators, or school board members who have demonstrated ongoing dedication to the success of our K-12 students and the betterment of public schools in North Carolina.
County Commissioners of the Year
This honor is presented to a board of county commissioners that has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in positively impacting student achievement within the school district.
Innovation and Excellence in Public Education Award
The Innovation and Excellence in Public Education Award has been established to recognize exemplary work undertaken by school boards that creatively found solutions to challenges faced in their district.
