Nearly 400 K-12 communications professionals, technology leaders, and district administrators gathered in Dallas on Sept. 28–29 for Apptegy’s 2026 SchoolCEO Conference: All In—AI, Brand, and Communications. The largest and best conference yet drew attendees from across North America, to the Fairmont Dallas for sessions focused on how school districts can use artificial intelligence responsibly, drive enrollment, meet compliance requirements, strengthen their brands, and communicate more effectively with families, staff, and their communities. Attendees did more than listen. They worked through strategies and ideas on site, so they had something tangible they could put into action as soon as they returned to their districts.

Day 1: New research, new innovation, and practical sessions

The conference opened with findings from new SchoolCEO research. In July 2026, 1,016 parents who had recently completed a school transition were surveyed. More than half (54.1%) of families did not enroll their child in their zoned public school. The research found that who makes the decision shifts as children grow. Just 19% of parents said their child’s preference drove the choice at the kindergarten stage, compared with 59% for high school. When asked what made them confident in their choice, parents most often picked “safe” (59%) and “welcoming” (58%), while fewer than 9% chose “rigorous.” More findings will be published in the Fall 2026 issue of SchoolCEO Magazine.

In the Innovations Keynote, Apptegy Chief Product and Technology Officer Charlie Lang walked through the company’s newest product releases, including recently released Attendance Pro, Community Experience, Staff Connect, and the newest solution, Content Pro, which includes:

  • AI Page Builder – turns an existing PDF into a web-ready page so information is more accessible, discoverable, and easier to maintain.
  • Level Access – an accessibility feature on every page that lets visitors adjust text size, contrast, and language, while helping districts address common accessibility issues automatically.
  • Content Creator – an AI assistant built specifically for K–12 communications that can build effective multi-channel content from a single prompt.

A session on the ADA Title II update helped districts prepare for the April 2027 accessibility deadline, encouraging teams to build habits like writing alt text, headings, and captions as they create content, and to prioritize the documents families use most, such as enrollment forms, calendars, handbooks, and menus. Other Monday session topics included fixing enrollment and crafting a crisis communications plan.

Day 2: Recognition, awards, and strategy-driven keynotes

On Day 2, SchoolCEO named Jacque Ballent, MBA, marketing and special projects facilitator at Frisco ISD in Texas, the winner of its 2026 Excellence in School Marketing Award.

Ballent joined the district in July 2024 and helped launch Access Frisco, an open enrollment initiative that brought in 276 new students in its first year and 930 in its second. With more than 1,200 out-of-district transfers to date, the program has had a multimillion-dollar annual revenue impact.

The three other finalists honored at the conference were:

  • Cristina Capretta, APR, director of marketing and community relations, Berea City School District (Ohio)
  • Brittany Cowan, director of marketing, Denver Public Schools (Colorado)
  • Skyler Hefley, director of communications, Longview ISD (Texas)

Full stories on all four finalists will appear in print and online in the forthcoming Fall 2026 issue of SchoolCEO Magazine.

Day 2 also featured three keynote speakers, each of whom had attendees apply their ideas on the spot:

  • Rebecca Bultsma, a featured Forbes expert on AI ethics and a former school division communications director, offered a practical roadmap for using AI to interpret data, surface insights, and improve communications plans, then led attendees through writing their own prompts.
  • Emma Stratton, founder of the B2B positioning firm Punchy and best-selling author of Make It Punchy, shared a formula for writing messages parents will actually open and read, then guided attendees through drafting real messaging about an upcoming project.
  • Jessica Chen, communication strategist, Columbia University instructor, and bestselling author of Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons, closed with a framework for building a culture of visibility, helping school leaders talk about their work and comms pros collect proof that their districts are succeeding every day.

“At the close of the conference, I asked everyone to raise a hand if they were leaving with at least one aha idea or strategy they were committing to taking home and putting into action,” said Shannon Williams, chief marketing officer of Apptegy. “Hands went up everywhere. That’s the real win. Leaving ready to put these key strategies into action.”

Hear more about Apptegy’s Latest Innovations

You can hear more about Charlie Lang’s keynote at the Apptegy Innovation Showcase Webinar on Oct. 13, 2026, at 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET. Lang, Apptegy Chief Product & Technology Officer, will be joined by Drew Doman, Blake Sutherland, and Shannon Williams.

The webinar follows up on the innovations showcased at the SchoolCEO Conference and dives deeper into what is now live, how districts are already using it, and where the platform is headed. It will focus on the recent launches, including Content Pro, and on Apptegy’s direction toward helping families choose and stay with districts that feel safe, welcoming, responsive, and trusted. Register for the webinar.

About Apptegy

Apptegy is a K-12 communications software company partnering with more than 5,250 school districts. Its all-in-one platform gives district leaders, staff, and educators the tools to drive student enrollment and attendance, family engagement, and community support. Apptegy Foundations provides a single place to send updates and stories across websites, notifications, a branded app, social media, and more. Engagement Suite empowers staff, coaches, and teachers to communicate directly with families on the same trusted district app and via SMS. Recent platform additions include Content Pro, a comprehensive content and accessibility package for newsletters and websites, Attendance Pro, an AI-powered, two-way SMS system that helps schools address chronic absenteeism, and Community Experience, an AI-powered hub that delivers real-time answers for an entire school community. Learn more at apptegy.com.

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