“Their team understands the difference between a project that builds a building and a project that builds public trust, and they treat both as essential.”
James Symonds
Superintendent, San Gabriel Unified School District
Partner since 2003
California K-12 Consulting
California's bond & facilities partner for K-12 school districts.
Former superintendents, CBOs, and facilities leaders bringing decades of California K-12 experience to your district's most consequential decisions — bond programs, master plans, leadership transitions, and operations.
200+
California districts served
$3B
In bond programs supported
20
Advisors with K-12 leadership roots
As featured in
What clients say
Recommended without reservation.
Two of the California districts we've served — recently and over decades — on what working with School Leaders is actually like.
“Joe Dixon and his team operate as partners to my office, not as vendors invoicing against a contract.”
Dr. Greg Gero, Ph.D.
Chief Business Official, Monrovia Unified School District
Partner since 2025
Authored by School Leaders
We wrote the playbooks California districts run.
Over 10,000 copies in useacross California school districts. Both playbooks are free — drop your email and they're in your inbox.
The Bond Program Playbook
A step-by-step guide for California school districts
Used by California districts running bond programs — pre-election strategy through close-out.
Get the playbook
The Stabilization Playbook
Seven Plays Every District Must Run Before Closing a School
Used by California districts in fiscal distress — diagnostic, recovery plan, and the seven plays to run before a closure decision.
Get the playbookHow we help
A flagship fiscal stabilization practice for districts navigating financial distress — plus seven services across three pillars for the rest of the work that defines a district's decade.
Flagship engagement
Fiscal Stabilization
When the math no longer works — structural deficits emerging, AB 1200 certification slipping, or county fiscal advisors engaged — we build the multi-year stabilization plan the board will approve and the county will sign off on. Most districts we work with move from Qualified back to Positive within 18–36 months.
Learn about Fiscal StabilizationThree practice pillars
Bond & Facilities
End-to-end support for districts running bond programs, master plans, and facility decisions.
Leadership
Finding and developing the executives and boards who run California districts.
Staff Augmentation
Interim leaders and specialists ready to step into your district on day one.
Solutions by role
We speak the language of the seat you sit in. Pick yours.
Superintendents
Governance, board relations, strategic planning, and the bond + facilities work that defines your tenure.
See how we helpBusiness Officials
LCFF projections, multi-year financial planning, AB 1200 certifications, and bond financing support.
See how we helpFacilities Directors
Master plans, FIT compliance, OPSC funding pursuits, and capital project oversight.
See how we helpMaintenance & Operations
Operational reviews, warehousing efficiency, transportation, and M&O budget stewardship.
See how we helpRecent district outcomes
A few of the engagements we're proud of.
Case study
Morongo Unified School District: The $30 Million Question
How a 7,361-student rural district turned a quiet structural deficit into a board-led fiscal stabilization plan — three years before the cliff.
~$30M · Fund balance preserved by 2029-30
Read the storyCase study
San Gabriel Unified School District: Bond Program Management
Bond program management partnership with San Gabriel USD since 2003. Superintendent James Symonds: "School Leaders has been ... excellent."
Read the storyCase study
Monrovia Unified School District: Bond Program Management
Bond program management partnership with Monrovia USD since 2025. The District's Chief Business Official, Dr. Greg Gero, calls it "one of the strongest professional engagements …
Read the storyFrom the desk
Field-tested thinking on facilities, finance, and governance.
Modernization vs. New Construction: How to Decide What Your School District Needs
Should your district modernize existing buildings or build new? Learn the factors that drive this decision and how California funding programs treat each app…
Read moreWhat Your District Needs to Do This Month
What Your District Needs to Do This Month: 30-Day Checklist to Navigate California’s 2025 Education Reforms. New state laws are coming — here’s your actionab…
Read moreFacilities Readiness Audit
Be shovel-ready for fast-tracked school safety and modernization funding. Our Facilities Readiness Audit prioritizes projects, prechecks DSA and OPSC paths, …
Read moreFree AI-augmented toolkit
Eight tools your district can use right now — no login.
Fiscal Health Risk Analysis, LCFF revenue estimator, district benchmarking, staffing analyzer, multi-year projection, SpEd efficiency, bond/facilities health, and a board-presentation generator. All grounded in California statute and traceable to source publications.
Featured
Fiscal Health Risk Analysis
20-section self-assessment built on AB 1200 / AB 2756 risk indicators. Weighted scoring, AI narrative, board-ready PDF.
Live in production — used by CA superintendents and CBOs.
Try itRecognized leadership
Our advisors carry the kind of recognition that comes from decades of operating at the top of California K-12.
James L. Murdoch Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognized for sustained commitment to education and school facilities.
Green Buildings Board Members
Active governance of sustainable construction practices in California schools.
CASH Maintenance Academy Founder
Founded the training program that develops California school district maintenance leaders.
USC Rossier Chief Business Official Instructor
Teaching the next generation of district CBOs at the University of Southern California.
ACSA Regional Superintendent of the Year
Association of California School Administrators top regional honor.
Orange County Technology Administrator of the Year
Top K-12 technology leadership recognition in Orange County.
Pioneered Vision 2035
A comprehensive roadmap for instructional innovation, equity-based budgeting, and student-centered redesign.
Ready to talk about your district?
30 minutes with one of our advisors. We'll listen first, share where we've seen this play out, and tell you honestly whether we can help.