Dale Scott & Company

What Dale Scott & Company does

Dale Scott & Company (DS&C) is a San Francisco-based, privately held municipal financial advisory firm founded in 1987 that exclusively serves California K-14 school districts and community college districts. Registered as a Municipal Advisor with both the SEC and the MSRB, the firm guides public-school clients through capital-markets entry, debt issuance, quantitative structuring, credit analysis, and final pricing, while also providing election advisory services for general obligation bond ballot measures. The firm has been involved in over $10 billion in successful bond elections since 1994 and has issued more than 5,900 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) through its Cash Reserve Program administered in partnership with the California School Boards Association.

The firm's core technology consists of proprietary bond products developed specifically for California K-14 financing constraints: Ed-Tech Bonds® (patented), GO Flex-Bonds®, GO Reauthorization Bonds®, CAB Restructuring Bonds®, and Teacher-Staff Housing General Obligation Bonds®. These branded methodologies address distinct pain points such as tying bond terms to equipment useful life, reviving stalled programs under Prop 39 tax-rate caps, converting costly capital appreciation bonds into current-interest structures, and funding teacher-staff housing. The firm also delivers SEC Rule 15c2-12 continuing disclosure compliance services and consulting on voter survey research, ballot language drafting, and public information strategy.

DS&C operates as a professional services business earning advisory fees on completed transactions, with pricing disclosed only through direct quotes. The go-to-market is sales-led and direct, relying on the firm's 35-year California public-finance reputation, referral networks within the school district ecosystem, association endorsements (CSBA, CASBO), and thought-leadership content including a podcast hosted by President Dale Scott. The company has five identified professionals and is founder-owned and operated with no disclosed external investment.

Name

Dale Scott & Company

Legal name

Dale Scott & Company

Website

https://dalescott.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dale Scott & Company is a San Francisco-based municipal financial advisory firm serving California K-14 school districts and community college districts. It provides proprietary bond products, election consulting, and SEC-compliant disclosure services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) & Public Housing Bond Programs (FSALAKAG)

Keywords

• Municipal bond advisory
• School district financing
• General obligation bonds
• Election advisory services
• Public finance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: DS&C serves as financial advisor on municipal bond transactions for California K-14 districts, guiding clients through capital markets decisions, debt issuance, quantitative structuring, credit analysis, and final pricing. Revenue is generated through professional advisory fees on completed transactions.
2. Election Advisory Services: Consulting services to help districts develop capital plans, analyze tax rate impacts, conduct voter survey research, draft ballot language, and develop public information strategies for bond election campaigns.
3. Continuing Disclosure Services: Cost-effective compliance services for SEC Rule 15c2-12 requirements including preparation of filing documentation, electronic filing of annual statements, and timely filing of material event notices.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dale Scott & Company provides financial advisory services, proprietary bond products, and election advisory services to California K-14 school districts and community college districts. The firm guides clients through capital markets decisions, quantitative structuring, credit analysis, debt issuance, and final pricing on municipal bond transactions, and supports districts with ballot measure campaigns, voter survey research, and SEC continuing disclosure compliance.

Product overview

Dale Scott & Company provides an integrated suite of financial advisory and bond product services to California K-14 school districts and community college districts. The firm offers nine core offerings: Financial Advisory (capital markets guidance), Ed-Tech Bonds® (educational technology financing), GO Flex-Bonds® (facility funding under Prop 39), GO Reauthorization Bonds® (reviving stalled bond programs), CAB Restructuring Bonds® (converting high-interest capital appreciation bonds), Cash Reserve Program (pooled TRANs for cash flow), Continuing Disclosure (SEC compliance), Election Advisory (ballot measure support), and Teacher-Staff Housing General Obligation Bonds® (employee housing financing). Several products including Ed-Tech Bonds®, CAB Restructuring Bonds®, GO Flex-Bonds®, GO Reauthorization Bonds®, and Teacher-Staff Housing GO Bonds® are proprietary offerings developed and patented by DS&C. The company is registered as a Municipal Advisor with the SEC and MSRB.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ed-Tech Bonds®: Developed and patented by DS&C, Ed-Tech Bonds are designed to address the statewide problem of financing educational technology to prepare students for the global economy.
• GO Flex-Bonds®
• GO Reauthorization Bonds®
• CAB Restructuring Bonds®
• Teacher-Staff Housing General Obligation Bonds®

Products and services

• Financial Advisory Financial Advisory guides California K-14 school districts and community college districts through the decisions, alternatives, and risks of entering the capital markets, covering quantitative structuring, credit analysis, and final pricing through debt issuance processes. The firm pursues the lowest cost of funding through formal competitive bids or direct negotiations with underwriters.
• Ed-Tech Bonds® Ed-Tech Bonds® is a proprietary and patented financing product developed by DS&C that ties the term of financing to the useful life of educational technology equipment being financed, avoiding long-term bond debt for taxpayers. It addresses the statewide problem of financing educational technology for California school districts.
• GO Flex-Bonds® GO Flex-Bonds® provides California districts with an ongoing source of facility funding and strong taxpayer protections. The bonds are issued sequentially under Prop 39 to maximize use of available tax revenues for project funding while reducing borrowing costs.
• GO Reauthorization Bonds® GO Reauthorization Bonds® is a bond product that helps stalled GO bond programs due to decreased assessed valuations and Prop 39 tax rate restrictions by seeking voter approval to continue construction and remodeling projects without increasing the total debt previously approved by voters.
• CAB Restructuring Bonds® CAB Restructuring Bonds® is a proprietary program that helps California school and community college districts convert costly capital appreciation bonds (CABs) into lower-cost current interest bonds to save millions in future interest payments.
• Cash Reserve Program Cash Reserve Program is a pooled Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) program sponsored by the California School Boards Association that provides school districts, community college districts, and county offices of education with temporary funds to address cash shortfalls due to irregular receipt of state aid and property tax revenues.
• Continuing Disclosure Continuing Disclosure is a cost-effective solution that helps clients meet SEC Rule 15c2-12 requirements, including preparation of filing documentation, electronic filing of annual statements, and timely filing of material event notices.
• Election Advisory Election Advisory is a comprehensive ballot measure advisory service that includes capital plan development, quantitative analysis of tax rate impacts, voter survey research, ballot language drafting, and public information strategy development to support school district bond elections.
• Teacher-Staff Housing General Obligation Bonds® Teacher-Staff Housing General Obligation Bonds® is a general obligation bond product that enables California school districts to fund teacher and staff housing projects to help attract and retain qualified employees in areas with high housing costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10 billion in successful bond elections won since 1994
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• California School Boards Association (CSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSBA sponsors the Cash Reserve Program that DS&C administers, providing school districts, community college districts, and county offices of education with funds to address cash shortfalls due to irregular receipt of state aid and property tax revenues. DS&C has issued over 5,900 TRANs through this program.
• California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASBO supports Ed-Tech Bonds®, the proprietary financing product developed and patented by DS&C for financing educational technology. This endorsement from the statewide school business officials association validates the product's value to California school districts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KNN Public Finance: California-focused public finance advisory firm serving K-14 school and community college districts with bond election advisory and debt issuance services. Closest direct comparable to DS&C by geography, client base, and product mix.
• NW Financial Group: Independent municipal advisor providing bond issuance, election advisory, and continuing disclosure services to school districts and public agencies, including California K-14 districts. Comparable in service offering and client type.
• Caldwell Flores Winters (CFW): Specialist municipal advisor exclusively serving California K-14 school districts and community colleges with bond election, financial advisory, and continuing disclosure services. Highly comparable niche focus and service offering to DS&C.
• Backstrom McCarley Berry & Co. California-based municipal advisory firm serving K-14 school districts and community colleges with bond issuance and election advisory services. Comparable boutique competitor in the California K-14 segment.
• Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth: California-based law and advisory firm with a public finance practice serving school districts and community colleges on bond issuance and disclosure. Comparable as California K-14 municipal advisor with broader legal capabilities.
• Isom Advisors: California-focused municipal advisor providing financial advisory and bond election services to public agencies including K-14 districts. Competes head-to-head with DS&C for California K-14 mandates.
• Government Financial Strategies (GFS): Independent California municipal advisor serving K-14 districts and other public agencies with debt issuance, election advisory, and continuing disclosure services. Direct comparable in California K-14 municipal advisory.

Broad incumbents

• Stifel Public Finance: National broker-dealer with a public finance municipal advisory division serving school districts and other public issuers. Competes for K-14 mandates where larger bench strength and capital markets capabilities give it scale advantages.
• Piper Sandler Public Finance: National investment bank with a dedicated public finance municipal advisory practice serving K-14 districts. Comparable as a competing municipal advisor for California school district clients, though larger and broader in scope.
• PFM Group: Large national public financial management and advisory firm with a substantial California K-14 practice. Competes with DS&C on larger district mandates and offers broader portfolio of services across municipal finance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dale-scott-&-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dale Scott & Company