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Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of middle and high school classified staff members in Victorville, California, and to describe their training, knowledge, observations, and perceptions of African American family engagement.Methodology. This study employed a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of classified staff members and their perspectives on African American family engagement. Criterion-based sampling was used to identify five participants who were interviewed using a guided, semi-structured interview protocol.Findings. Four themes and 21 formulated concepts emerged. The four themes were conceptualizing family engagement, the benefits of family engagement, stereotypes, and staff opportunities. The essence of the perceptions of classified staff members on African American family engagement was provided.Conclusions. Intervention strategies that empower school staff members to integrate parent engagement efforts in their school system should be implemented. Devised interventions should eliminate barriers to adequate conditions for culturally diverse groups and improve access to cultural capital.Recommendations. Further research could include a larger sample size or include other methods that allow for generalization to a larger population. Studies exploring diverse student perspectives on family engagement should be conducted. Additional research could also explore the resources that are available to staff members that might foster positive relationships with diverse families and school staff. Future studies could also include research with African American families to identify their perspectives. Finally, the researcher recommends that a mixed-method or quantitative study could be completed to explore how to measure effective family engagement.