Since the state takeover, the Philadelphia school district has created a new governance model, in which for-profits, non-profits, and universities receive contracts to manage schools. Further, these and other organizations also receive contracts to provide a range of additional services. The shift to a public/private institutional structure, coupled with the urgency surrounding urban school reform, together shape civic and community engagement in decisions affecting public education. This investigation contributes to research that has established the importance of "civic capacity"--defined as broad-based engagement of civic and community groups in identifying and pursuing an agenda for school improvement--to urban school reform. The literature on civic capacity has focused on political and economic dynamics at the city-wide level. This report focuses on the structure of school district governance as an important aspect of the context influencing civic capacity. In this brief, the authors focus specifically on neighborhood-based organizations and advocacy groups with limited resources. Contractual relationships may be making it difficult for these groups--so often important voices for equity and sustainability in the city--to take an independent stance from the school district. In addition, the authors argue that the sense of urgency fostered by both the state takeover and NCLB promotes a rapid reform pace, which, in turn, can eclipse meaningful citizen engagement.