K–12 User Conference 2026 Recap

Lauren Barker

The long-anticipated return of Blackbaud’s K–12 User Conference brought together hundreds of educators, administrators, and technology leaders for three days of learning, connection, and a look at what's ahead for Blackbaud K–12. 

With over 80 sessions specifically curated for educators, more than 20 K–12 Partners in attendance, and an opening welcome reception that celebrated the city of Boston — think specialties from Fenway, the North End, and the Seaport District — UC 2026 was built to give every attendee something meaningful to take back to their school. 

Day 1 set an inspiring vision for the future of K–12 education, centered on innovation, experience, and human-centered AI. Blackbaud’s CEO, Mike Gianoni, opened the conference by reinforcing Blackbaud’s commitment to building AI that empowers people—not replaces them—setting the tone for responsible, purpose-driven innovation. AI expert Priya Lakhani then demystified AI, breaking down complex concepts in a way that resonated with both enthusiasts and even the most cautious skeptics. Peter Baron challenged schools to rethink what drives success, emphasizing that a connected, exceptional school experience—not traditional operational models—will be the true differentiator in the years ahead. Together, their messages created a clear roadmap for the rest of the conference: harnessing technology to create better outcomes for schools, staff, students, and families. 

Day 2 set the tone for Blackbaud’s vision for K–12 schools moving forward, inspiring attendees with a clear look at what’s next for education technology. As Carol Vila, Director of Technology at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, put it: "I was disappointed when it was over!” 

Here's a look at what we shared. 

The Big Idea: From System of Record to System of Action

Every announcement on the Innovation Keynote connected back to a single vision: Blackbaud’s Total School Solution is evolving from a platform that stores data to one that helps schools act on it — intelligently, and at scale. That means smarter workflows, less administrative burden, and AI tools that give time back to the people who need it most.  

What We Announced 

Enrollment & Admissions: Enrollment Contracts streamline the enrollment experience with dynamic contract logic and automated workflows that bring enrollment, financial aid, awards, and billing together in one connected process. We also previewed Candidate Insights, AI-powered admissions intelligence designed to help teams convert more applicants with less bias. And this fall, we're opening the Early Adopter Program for the Admissions Agent — agentic AI purpose-built for the admissions funnel. 

Student Information & Learning Management: A new Grading Hub centralizes settings and reduces the clicks required to manage marking periods. We also showed a redesigned assignment experience, Parent Submitted Attendance (parents submit directly through the portal, schools stay in control), and Student Success Insights — a configurable early-warning system that draws on grades, attendance, and conduct to help staff flag students who need support before it's too late. 

Business Office & Billing: Billing Management is a full rebuild — not an upgrade — living inside the same platform as enrollment and SIS. We also announced direct Financial Edge NXT GL posting, the Collections Assistant Early Adopter Program, and a Parent Support AI pilot launching in August that handles family billing questions outside of business hours. 

Analytics & Advancement: Core Data – Enhanced (formerly SchoolBI) brings all education management data into a single warehouse, with one-click DASL/NAIS reporting and natural language querying coming later this year. For advancement teams, AI capabiltiies like Prospect Insights Pro and Cultivation Assistant for Raiser’s Edge NXT surface high-potential donors and generate major gift action plans in one click — and the Development Agent is already helping teams manage follow-ups and surface lapsed donors autonomously. 

Customer Success: An 87% reduction in phone hold times. A smarter Virtual Assistant that diagnoses issues and guides resolution conversationally. And a CS team purpose-built around K–12 — unified under dedicated leadership and built for the rhythm of a school year. 

A Note on What You Saw 

The Innovation Keynote covered the full spectrum — from capabilities already in your hands, to Early Adopter Programs, to prototypes that show where we're headed. Not everything shown will ship exactly as demonstrated. But every direction it reflects is real, and your feedback shapes what comes next. 

Couldn't Make It This Year? 

We hope you'll join us in 2027. Keep an eye on your inbox later this year: we'll be announcing the UC 2027 date and location, and you won't want to miss it. 

Want to learn more about any of the announcements above? Reach out to your Blackbaud account team or visit blackbaud.com.