Trust has been found to be an important component of school effectiveness, yet remains understudied especially in terms of school-central office relations. Using mixed methods in a case-study design, this research illustrates how the lack of trust, which often remains undiscussed in school reform, was surfaced and then began to be addressed by a multi-shareholder district design team. The study is significant in illustrating that focusing on building trust between districts and schools may be an essential first step in achieving and sustaining district reform. (Contains 5 tables.)