3 Summer Priorities for District Efficiency

By Suhail Farooqui, CEO and co-founder of K12 Insight.

If there was a universal theme in this year’s school budgets, it’s probably this: deliver better outcomes with the same budget.

Across the country, school districts are being asked to improve service, streamline operations, and modernize without extra funding to do it. It’s a critical moment. And it is also a strategic opportunity.

This is the first in a three-part series from our leadership team at K12 Insight. Each of us is sharing practical ways districts can use the summer months to build the systems and habits that will carry them through the coming school year. In this post, I want to focus on operational efficiency, not as a buzzword, but as a foundation for delivering on your mission with the resources you already have.

After nearly two decades working alongside superintendents, cabinet leaders, and school boards, I’ve seen one constant: when districts invest the time to build thoughtful systems, the benefits ripple outward. It leads to better support for families, more bandwidth for staff, and stronger trust across the community.

Here are three areas I encourage every district to focus on this summer:

1. Automate the repetitive work

Some questions, about enrollment, transportation, and calendars, come in over and over again. Those are precisely the types of inquiries that can and should be automated. That doesn’t mean removing the human element. It means freeing up your people for work that requires judgment and relationship-building.

Pasco County School District (FL) implemented Let’s Talk Assistant, an AI-powered chatbot, to provide 24/7 answers to common transportation and enrollment questions. That’s hundreds of inquiries a month resolved instantly without taking time away from staff. Before Let’s Talk, it often took six phone calls to resolve a single issue. Now it takes just one.

In fact, an independent cost-benefit analysis using ROI Institute methodology found that Pasco reduced the cost of providing customer service by 41%. For every dollar invested in Let’s Talk, the district received $1.68 in value.

2. Use your data to unleash efficiency

If your system isn’t giving you real-time insights, you’re always playing catch-up. Every interaction—every missed response, every trending topic—is a signal. Your dashboards should surface those signals, so you can take action early before they become board agenda items.

At Pasco, service data isn’t just monitored, it’s acted on. They use Let’s Talk dashboards to track CX scores, flag unanswered inquiries, and even shape school board agendas. Their public-facing Success Plan Scorecard helps maintain transparency and accountability across the district.

3. Unify your services on one platform

A parent shouldn’t have to guess who to contact, or chase down an answer across multiple departments. Every delay creates frustration that ends up in board meetings. A unified customer service platform gives your community one place to ask questions and gives your team one place to respond, track, and improve.

Pasco County Schools faced this challenge head-on. With hundreds of staff fielding inquiries across dozens of departments, families experienced slow and inconsistent service. By centralizing support with Let’s Talk, they streamlined communication and created a better, more consistent experience districtwide.

“Operational efficiency starts with intentional planning, and that begins today. The systems you build this summer will shape the success of your entire school year.”
—Suhail Farooqui

If you haven’t had time to step back and assess your support systems, now’s the time. August will arrive quickly. But with the right foundation, you’ll be able to serve your community with greater consistency, speed, and confidence.

If your team is ready to unify service, reduce inefficiencies, or use your data more strategically, we’re here to support you. Schedule a time to talk, or send us a message.