The Ministry of Education and school boards of trustees are at odds over changes in the way trustees are to be trained for the job.
In 2008, an Auditor-General's report questioned the effectiveness of the $4.3 million being spent on trustee training and support.
Most of the training of trustees will now be done online, rather than by face-to-face training.
The School Trustees Association says it is an unproven method of delivering the high quality training trustees need and say it has left many boards feeling frustrated and undervalued.
Wellington-Wairarapa School Trustees Association chair Lorraine Ellison says trustees are able to exchange information in face-to-face training, wheras sitting at a computer will not be suitable for everyone.
The Ministry of Education says it aims to ensure all board members who want training can access it when and where they want to, which is not always the case at the moment.
