Why superintendents are rethinking the central office (and what comes next)

Last month, I joined a group of Chicago-area superintendents for a regional conversation on central office design. Around 25 district leaders gathered to reflect on shared challenges and explore practical solutions. What we heard was consistent with what we’re seeing nationwide: central offices have expanded to meet rising demands, but that growth has often been reactive and without clear intentions.

In our work with districts across the country, EAB researchers have been studying what distinguishes high-functioning central office teams from the rest. We’ve seen that many leadership teams share the same core challenges—unclear roles, overlapping responsibilities, slow decision-making—but often lack the structure and language to address them directly.

The real challenge, though, isn’t all the disorder. It’s that most central offices were designed for a simpler set of responsibilities. As the scope of work has grown, many districts are operating within systems that no longer match the scale or urgency of their goals. So, how can superintendents take this organizational challenge and turn it into a strategic opportunity?

For many superintendents, having a research-backed framework to assess their team’s current state is the first step toward change. Redesigning the central office is one of the most powerful levers superintendents have to build high-performance school systems—teams that can set priorities, execute at scale, and stay resilient through change. Based on our research, five strategies stand out as essential for building a stronger, more intentional leadership structure.

Five strategies to build a stronger central office

Strategy 1: Define what, not who, needs a seat at the table

When accountability is unclear, work gets duplicated, decisions bottleneck at the top, and too many questions land on the superintendent’s desk. The instinct is often to ask who should weigh in, but a better starting point is what needs to be addressed. Once the work itself is clearly defined—whether it’s tied to district priorities, school operations, or community engagement—ownership becomes easier to assign. That clarity streamlines decisions and builds leadership at the right levels.

Strategy 2: Establish roles, not committees, for initiatives

K-12 culture values inclusivity, but it can lead to too many meetings and too little progress. Groupthink, unclear ownership, and diffused responsibility often follow. Rather than defaulting to committees, adopt frameworks like RACI to clarify who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. This keeps collaboration intact while creating a structure that moves work forward.

Strategy 3: Prioritize with categories, not lists

A long list of initiatives can overwhelm even the most capable teams. Instead of trying to do everything at once, districts should group projects into categories for a structured approach to prioritization. For example, initiatives can be categorized as critical (daily attention from senior leaders), important (active but not urgent), or desirable (pursued if time and funding allow). This triage approach helps leaders focus energy and resources where they matter most without losing track of longer-term ideas.

Strategy 4: Create criteria for when to “do” and when to delegate

When superintendents get pulled into day-to-day decisions, it slows momentum and undercuts other leaders. A simple delegation checklist can help clarify which tasks require top-level input and which should be owned elsewhere. When updating a district-wide policy, for example, leaders might ask: Is someone else closer to the problem? Will delegation move this faster? If the answer is yes, it’s time to step back.

Strategy 5: Establish succession options and pathways for key roles

Transitions become disruptive when roles are too narrowly shaped around individual strengths. Without clear continuity plans, progress can stall. That’s why resilient teams take a proactive approach to succession through sharing ownership, mentoring future leaders, and mapping advancement pathways. Redesigning the central office isn’t about doing more with less; it’s about helping teams stay focused and aligned, even as people and priorities shift.

Ready to reimagine your central office?

If your district is planning a central office redesign, or looking to strengthen systems for decision-making, delegation, or prioritization, the summer is an ideal time to step back and reflect.

For districts looking to clarify roles, improve decision-making, and align priorities, EAB offers a structured process to guide your central office redesign. Together, we’ll help your team:

• Assess current practices and team structure
• Identify key pain points and areas of misalignment
• Align around clear priorities to guide the year ahead

Many districts are already planning to take advantage of the summer window—please let us know if you’d like to learn more about how we can support your team in this area.

We’re also happy to bring this conversation to your region, whether through a superintendent convening, leadership retreat, or cabinet work session. Let us know how we can support your team or network.

Here’s what partners who have worked with us in the past have shared:

“EAB gave us the chance to commit time to our organizational efforts. We got to identify where our efforts were working, and where we could benefit from realignment.” – Superintendent, OK

“I valued the opportunity to work with EAB on how we can get better at prioritizing our central office work. We can now dedicate our precious time to our most important work.” – Superintendent, IL

Drop us a line if you’d like to learn more. We’d love to hear more about how you’re approaching this work.