To contribute to knowledge of how limited resources affect education agencies' ability to maintain and improve educational quality, this paper examines the services California's county education offices must provide. Specifically, it identifies state-mandated functions of county education offices and analyzes how Santa Clara County is meeting these mandates, and how other counties are meeting mandates related to business services. Chapter one presents a brief introduction and provides background information regarding the problem. This is followed by a statement of the problem and major questions to be answered by the study. The significance of the study is identified and its methodology is briefly described. Definitions of terms used in the study are included, followed by a list of factors limiting the study. Chapter two reviews the related literature. Chapter three describes in greater detail the methodology employed in the study. Chapter four discusses the study's findings. Finally, Chapter five briefly summarizes the study, reviews the major findings, and presents recommendations for further research and governmental action. The report is followed by a list of references, including interviewees, and appendixes presenting tabular information on the county offices studied and a copy of the survey used to gather data from those offices. (MCG)