About

Earn an SBA License

Do you want to earn a School Business Administrator license in Massachusetts?

The School Business Administrator (SBA) license is issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). DESE sets and approves the requirements for becoming a licensed SBA.

MASBO is a DESE Approved Professional Development Provider and may help you fulfill some of the requirements. We encourage you to take these steps prior to contacting us:

1. Obtain an *ELAR profile through DESE; note your MEPID number

• About ELAR
• Create an ELAR profile
• Log into your ELAR profile

2. Pass the Communication and Literacy Skills MTEL exam

• About the MTEL
• Test registration and preparation

3. Upload your collegiate transcripts into your *ELAR profile

• Bachelor's degree
• Optional: Master's degree and Doctoral degree

4. Upload a work verification letter into your *ELAR profile

• A minimum of three (3) years work experience in the field of business and/or education
• Letter from current and/or previous employer(s) on letterhead stating the position you held and the dates you have been/were employed with that organization
• Optional: Upload a current resume and/or pertinent job descriptions

5. Apply for an Initial School Business Administrator license through your *ELAR profile

6. Call the MA DESE Licensure Department at (781) 338-6600 to determine your next best steps.

*ELAR will be changing to MA Education Security Portal (ESP).

Other Helpful Resources

• Administrator Licensure
• Appendix B
  • Overview
  • Form
• DESE SBA Evaluation Rubric
• Education Laws and Regulations
• Finance and Funding
• Licensure Requirements Tool

MASBO Assistance

Some of the ways MASBO has helped members earn their SBA licenses are:

• Through our Mentor and Induction Program, we pair licensure candidates with qualified advisors to complete the 300-hour Administrative Apprenticeship/Internship experience
• Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) [page 31, 603 CMR 7.09(5)]: Provide learning opportunities for licensure candidates to strengthen their content area understandings
  • Member Professional Development (topics vary per agenda)
  • Classes/Modules/Workshops delve deeper into job-related responsibilities, such as building a budget, chart of accounts, communication, contract negotiations, end-of-year-report, grant management, human resources, leadership, MA general laws, payroll, and school committee presentations