Webinar Recap: What’s Next for K–12 at Blackbaud

Lauren Barker

Didn’t make it to our webinar: Navigating the Future: Visionary Roadmap for Blackbaud's K-12 Total School Solution? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a snapshot of the biggest ideas, updates, and questions from our latest K–12 innovation session—covering connected systems, AI, and what schools can expect next. 

Here’s a summary of the biggest themes and takeaways from our CEO, Mike Gianoni; Vice President of Education Products, Mark Davis; and Product Manager, Jessi Walters—plus answers to some of the most-asked questions. 

A Strong Commitment to K–12  

Mike Gianoni opened by reaffirming Blackbaud’s longstanding commitment to private K–12 schools—dating back to our very first customer more than 45 years ago. His message was clear: as classrooms evolve and AI reshapes how schools operate, Blackbaud’s focus is on helping schools thrive, not just keep up. 

That means delivering a connected, intelligent solution that: 

• Streamlines school operations 
• Strengthens family engagement 
• Supports the full student journey—from applicant to alumni 

Mike highlighted tangible improvements already underway, including simplified financial aid workflows, direct IRS integration, and better data connectivity through the Common Records Engine. He also emphasized the growing role of AI tools—like Chat for Blackbaud AI and feedback generators—in supporting administrators and educators in their daily work. 

The Product Vision: A Total School Solution  

Mark Davis expanded upon that foundation by sharing Blackbaud’s long-term product vision. Rather than a short-term roadmap, he framed this as a “north star view” of where the education portfolio is headed. 

At the heart of that vision are five guiding themes: 

1. A total school solution that improves efficiency and sustainability 
2. Expanded access to education through better financial aid and payments 
3. A modern, digital experience—increasingly powered by AI 
4. A robust partner ecosystem that extends what schools can do 
5. A continued focus on data security, compliance, and trust 

Mark emphasized that while the “what” of this vision hasn’t changed, the “how” has. Blackbaud SKY, modern APIs, and intelligent action powered by AI are transforming how schools access and act on their data—across admissions, academics, development, and the business office. 

From Vision to Reality: What’s Being Built  

Jessi Walters brought the vision to life with detail and context—drawing her own experience working in an independent school before joining Blackbaud. 

Her focus areas included: 

Connected systems 

• The Common Records Engine, replacing ConnectRE, will enable automatic two-way data sync between Blackbaud’s education management portfolio and Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®—making it easier to keep records aligned without manual work. 
• The Blackbaud Omnibar brings together a unified entry point for the education management portfolio. 
• Deeper connections across enrollment, financial aid, contracts, billing, and the general ledger create a more seamless experience for both staff and families. 

Modern user experience 

• Flattened navigation and consistent design (via SKY UX) reduce clicks and make it easier to find what you need. 
• Our Partner Marketplace empowers organizations to extend the value of their solutions by working with vetted partners in the space where they need robust capabilities and deep integration. 

Smarter reporting 

• Work is underway to bring education data into a centralized data platform, enabling faster, fresher insights and more flexible reporting across systems. 
• The acquisition of School BI accelerates this effort and brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to the team. 

AI in everyday workflows—Jessi shared several examples of how Blackbaud is introducing AI thoughtfully: 

• AI Chat to answer questions, retrieve data, and take simple actions without leaving your screen 
• Tools to support teachers, like question generators, essay feedback, and grading comments 
• Billing tools like the Collections Assistant, which helps staff follow up with families using better context and personalized communication 

Importantly, AI is being implemented with security, auditability, and human review in mind. 

Questions We Heard—and Answered 

A few common questions came up during the session: 

• Is the Common Records Engine available yet? It’s currently in the Early Adopter stage, with general availability expected later this year. 
• Are we losing functionality like HTML editing? No—there are no plans to remove existing capabilities. Usability improvements are meant to enhance, not restrict. 
• Is AI an added cost? Some AI features will be included with existing subscriptions; others may be packaged separately. More details will be shared as plans finalize. 
• Will AI be available to parents or on public websites? Today’s focus is on back-office users. Expanding to other audiences will come later, once accuracy and controls are proven. 

What’s Next 

As Jessi shared, this is just the beginning. More details will be covered in upcoming Product Update Briefings this spring, and the conversation will continue at the K–12 User Conference in Boston this July. 

Thank you to everyone who joined, asked questions, and shared feedback. Your input continues to shape where we go next.