Superintendents' Stress Shifts: School Board Relations Top Concern, Overall Stress Drops
A new survey reveals shifts in superintendents' stressors and priorities. While college board relations cause more stress, overall stress levels have decreased. However, superintendents still find their roles challenging.
In 2025, 31% of superintendents reported feeling stressed by college board relations, up from 26% in 2024. Despite this, the average number of stressors dropped from six in 2024 to four in 2025. Stress related to staffing shortages, educators' mental health, and other factors also decreased significantly.
Smaller districts' leaders spent more time managing school facilities, while larger districts focused on communication with college boards and communities. However, regardless of district size, superintendents want to dedicate more time to data analysis, policy crafting, and communicating with school-level staff.
Just over half of superintendents (53%) agreed that the stress and disappointments of their role are worth it, down from 59% in 2023 and 2024. Superintendents of smaller districts were less likely (47%) than those in larger districts (72%) to find the stress worthwhile. Despite the decrease in overall stress, superintendents may still be dissatisfied with time spent on non-core duties.
