As United States schools struggle to meet student proficiency mandates governed by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation of 2001, many have embarked on unfruitful reform efforts that concentrate on short-term, expensive solutions. The purpose of this work was to investigate superintendent and relational trust as a local reform effort, operating independently of political platform, legislated proficiency mandate, or economic variability as a means toward creating and sustaining collaborative systemic processes necessary for organizational health. This mixed-method study investigated different perceptions (principal, union president, board member, and board president) held toward evidence of superintendent and board trusting dynamics diffusing within the organizational culture, and creating and sustaining superintendent and board trust.
