School District Leaders to Tackle the Rising Cost and Responsibility of Public Facilities at Facilitron University 6

LOS GATOS, Calif., Sept. 22, 2026. School facility decisions are increasingly reaching superintendent offices and school boards as districts confront rising operating costs, aging infrastructure, and deferred maintenance expectations.

Facilitron University 6 (FU6), running November 9–11, 2026, at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, California, under the theme "From Access to Accountability: The Stewardship Era of School Facility Management," will introduce a new Executive Leadership Track designed specifically for superintendents, board members, and senior district leaders grappling with governance, public-asset accountability, and long-term fiscal responsibility.

"When a fee schedule hasn't been reviewed in years, that's not simply an operations problem," said Jeff Benjamin, Founder and CEO of Facilitron. "It's a governance decision nobody made on purpose."

Two-Track Format

FU6 will run two concurrent tracks tailored to the different responsibilities district leaders bring to the conference:

Executive Leadership Track — Designed for superintendents, board members, and senior district administrators, this track addresses governance, public-asset accountability, deferred maintenance, lifecycle asset management, and fiscal responsibility. Sessions give executive-level leaders the frameworks and peer perspectives they need to make sound long-term decisions about public facilities.

Core Operations Track — Built for operations directors, facilities managers, and business officials, this track focuses on safety, energy, scheduling, maintenance, district assets, innovation, and community-use policy. Sessions address the day-to-day and strategic operational challenges district teams face in managing school facilities effectively.

Featured Speakers

Four confirmed speakers will lead Executive Leadership Track sessions:

• Dr. Wesley Smith, Superintendent, Newport-Mesa Unified School District — "Showing Up Well: Leadership Wellness in High-Performance Roles"
• Dr. Gordon Amerson, Superintendent, Val Verde Unified School District — "How Do I Develop My People? Strengths-Based Leadership"
• Dr. Robert Taylor, Superintendent, Walnut Valley Unified School District — "How Do I Build a High-Performing Organization? Systems, Communication & Culture"
• Anthony P. De Marco, Partner, AALRR — "Beyond the Locker Room: Building Cultures of Accountability Before Risk Becomes Liability"

2026 Executive-Level Board Policy Assessment

New findings from Facilitron's 2026 Executive-Level Board Policy Assessment underscore why governance conversations are urgent. Among the districts surveyed:

• Six of seven reported that current rental rates are insufficient to fully recover facility-use costs.
• Seven of thirteen reported fee schedules that have not been updated in five or more years.

These figures reflect a pattern that FU6 sessions are directly designed to address: governance gaps that accumulate quietly until they become fiscal and operational crises.

Inaugural Facilitron Stewardship Awards

FU6 will debut the Facilitron Stewardship Awards, a new national recognition program honoring district leaders who demonstrate excellence across four categories:

1. Facility governance
2. Financial sustainability
3. Operational excellence
4. Community stewardship

The awards recognize the behind-the-scenes leadership that strengthens public trust and advances long-term stewardship of school facilities.

Registration

Registration for Facilitron University 6 is $100, which includes programming, meals, and events. The La Valencia Hotel room block is sold out; a room block at the nearby Grande Colonial Hotel is available for registered attendees.

Register and reserve your spot at facilitron.com/resources/facilitron-university/fu6.

Media Contact

Mercer Brockenbrough mercer@facilitron.com

Michele Nichols michele@facilitron.com