For Superintendents
Consulting for Superintendents
Your tenure will be measured by three things you mostly don't control: the bond you inherited, the bond you have to pass, and the board you have to keep aligned. Everything else is downstream. We help superintendents stay ahead of all three.
Where we come in
What we hear from superintendents
- Running a bond program through political and operational headwinds
- Keeping the board aligned through ideologically split moments
- Building a strategic plan that survives the next election cycle
- Managing fiscal posture (AB 1200 status) under structural deficit pressure
- Filling cabinet vacancies without losing organizational continuity
Services
Where we typically come in for superintendents:
Fiscal Stabilization
Recovery planning for California districts in fiscal distress — structural deficits, AB 1200 risk, or county-of-education intervention.
Learn moreBond Program Management
End-to-end bond program leadership for California districts — planning, execution, and accountability.
Learn moreFacility Master Planning
Long-range facility plans aligned to LCAP, demographics, and California funding cycles.
Learn moreLeadership Training
Governance and leadership training for California school boards and superintendents.
Learn moreStaff Augmentation
Interim superintendents, CBOs, and facilities directors ready to step in on Day 1.
Learn moreSuperintendent Searches
Executive search for California district superintendents — finalists who can do the job.
Learn moreFree tools for superintendents
Tools you can use right now
Free AI-augmented tools built specifically for the questions district leaders ask:
Fiscal Health Risk Analysis
20-section self-assessment surfaces the AB 1200 / AB 2756 risk indicators a board will eventually ask about. Run it once a year to know where you stand before the audit does.
Open the toolBoard Presentation Generator
Turn a complex topic into board-ready talking points, discussion questions, and a branded PDF. Useful before every meeting, indispensable before the hard ones.
Open the toolBond / Facilities Health
Compliance scan across RMA, CBOC, EMMA, FIT, master plan currency, and debt management — the items that show up first in a bond program audit.
Open the toolDistrict Benchmarking
Peer comparison data for the next board meeting. Useful when defending budget choices or making the case for new investment.
Open the toolFrequently asked
Questions superintendents ask us
What does a superintendent's first 100 days look like?
Listening, mostly. The first 30 are introductions — sites, cabinet, board members individually, key community voices. Days 30–70 are diagnostic — fiscal posture (run an FHRA), facility condition (read the most recent assessment), labor relations status, board operating norms. Days 70–100 are about translating findings into a strategic framing the board can adopt. The first big policy push should land in months 4–6, not day 1.
How do we manage a bond program with limited internal staff?
Most California districts can't justify a full-time bond program team. The common path is a hybrid model: an internal owner (often the CBO or facilities director) plus an external program management partner who runs CBOC operations, OPSC pursuits, EMMA compliance, and project oversight. We've structured this engagement for districts running $40M–$400M+ programs.
What financial risk indicators should a superintendent watch?
Five: (1) reserves trend over 3 years — direction matters more than absolute level, (2) deficit spending status — structural vs one-time, (3) AB 1200 certification — positive / qualified / negative, (4) STRS/PERS contribution trajectory, and (5) RMA deposit compliance under §17070.75. Our Fiscal Health Risk Analysis tool runs each district against the full FCMAT framework.
Talk to someone who's been in your seat.
Our advisors are former California superintendents. 30 minutes to learn whether we can help.