Success Story
Spokane Public Schools Builds Trust and Efficiency with Let’s Talk
Learn how Spokane Public Schools uses Let's Talk to foster a culture of community engagement, accessible information, and data-driven decision making.
January 23, 2024Challenge: Spokane Public Schools needed a better way to create a sense of community and improve access to information across a large, complex district. Solution: The district implemented Let’s Talk as a centralized platform to streamline communications, boost accessibility, and support data-driven decision-making. Results: |
Challenge
Creating a sense of community in a large school district like Spokane Public Schools (SPS) is difficult—especially when communications are scattered across multiple channels and families struggle to get timely, accurate information.
“For a big district like ours, generating a sense of community is tough when people feel stuck in a maze while seeking information,” said Dr. Adam Swinyard, Superintendent at Spokane Public Schools. “So we sought a way to make our responses more effective and help families access information easily. That’s where Let’s Talk came in.”
SPS also faced challenges in managing staff resources, streamlining communications, and making decisions based on data rather than anecdotal feedback. When Dr. Swinyard joined in 2020, the communications team was small, and the district needed a more intentional strategy to foster two-way engagement with families and improve operational efficiency.
Solution
SPS implemented Let’s Talk — the only customer service and intelligence platform purpose-built for K-12 — as a centralized system to streamline communications and improve community connection. The platform allowed the district to:
- Route inquiries automatically using powerful workflows
- Measure response times and increase accountability
- Track trends and unfulfilled tickets to identify issues
- Maximize staff efficiency and minimize email/phone fatigue
“When a parent has to email multiple people, gets stuck waiting, and is passed on from one person to the next, that doesn’t generate a sense of connection,” said Dr. Swinyard. “It’s the human aspect that’s important in communications — and we found that fostering a sense of connection isn’t necessarily about familiarity with a person, but it’s about accessibility.”
SPS promoted Let’s Talk as the fastest communication channel during peak seasons and integrated it across its website and district communications.
Results
- Improved customer service and trust:
It’s been clear for SPS that accessibility and responsiveness builds trust with customers and Let’s Talk makes that a reality.
The investments made in prioritizing customer service have resulted in improved public sentiment about the school district, measured through family surveys and tangibly felt through the positive districtwide culture. In a spring survey, more than 11,000 SPS families responded — 80% of whom said they would highly recommend their child’s school. When asked about the overall quality of their school, the average response was a four out of five rating.
- Boosted operational efficiency:
“Our frontline staff in school offices have noticed it saves them more time and makes them more efficient,” said Dr. Swinyard. “With everything going into Let’s Talk, it makes team members that much more efficient at handling communications.” - Faster resolution and smarter staffing decisions:
“Let’s Talk has helped us manage resources, spot and resolve issues, and streamline communication for improved overall efficiency,” said Dr. Swinyard. “It has reduced resolution times from days to hours.”
“Tracking unfulfilled tickets closely, we can better understand and assess department dynamics. Let’s Talk provides insights regarding resource allocation, helping us make strategic and data-driven decisions.” - Data-driven improvements and transparency:
SPS used ticket data to identify trends like confusion around student I.D.s, prompting proactive communications and updates.
“At events and meetings, I have always recommended using Let’s Talk for faster responses. The platform is also great for discerning if an issue is widespread or isolated,” said Dr. Swinyard. - Districtwide alignment and community engagement:
“Let’s Talk provides one place for our entire district community to go with their questions, comments and concerns — and it’s made a substantive difference,” said Dr. Swinyard. “The platform is a testament to the power of accessible and responsive communications and has allowed us to build a connected and engaged district community.”
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