SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Snoqualmie Valley School District
As a district that sits in the foothills of Microsoft headquarters, Snoqualmie Valley School District naturally embraces innovation and welcomes the chance to try out the latest tech.
But when Snoqualmie Valley’s Chief Communications Officer, Conor Laffey, joined the district, one of his first priorities was to simplify and streamline the district’s digital tools—not add more.
“When I was hired, one of the things I was tasked to do was to consolidate all of our software and make sure that we’re streamlining as much as we can,” shared Conor.
“We’re a district that embraces practical technology when it genuinely helps our staff and families, and AI has been the newest tool we’ve explored. Whether it’s supporting the classroom or helping staff work smarter, the goal is always the same: make our work more efficient and our communication clearer.”
At a Glance
The Snoqualmie Valley School District is located bout 40 miles east of Seattle near the Cascade Mountains. It encompasses over 400 square miles, making it geographically one of the largest districts in Washington state.
Snoqualmie Valley was already exploring how technology could make staff workloads lighter and communication more efficient when it came time for their next big step: using Finalsite’s AI-powered website assistant, Ask AI, to improve communication and better understand the needs of their families.
“For the first time, I’m getting access into the minds of the people coming to our website. This helps us do our jobs a little bit easier, and that’s something every district can appreciate.”
CONOR LAFFEY
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
The Challenge: Consolidation, Clarity, and Connection
Before implementing Ask AI, the district had been experimenting with multiple AI chatbots, including one created by a school board member and another by a student, to see how automation could help.
The district wanted a solution that integrated seamlessly with their existing Finalsite website and fit within their operational goals. Budget also played a role, as it often does, but the biggest challenge wasn’t cost or complexity; it was insight.
“Before, we were using Google Analytics,” Conor said. “I knew where people were going on the website, but I had no idea about their intentions, or if they had even clicked on the wrong link.”
The district had the traffic data, but they needed to know what families were really looking for.
“We tested all those out and did a price comparison,” Conor explained. “Finalsite made the most sense financially, and we were really excited about the data in the dashboard.”
The Solution: Finalsite’s Ask AI
When Finalsite released Ask AI, it offered Snoqualmie Valley what they were looking for: a chatbot that lived on their existing website and could provide insights into what users were asking and why they were on the site.
“If I can have a tool that’s within an existing product, that’s really exciting for us,” said Conor. After testing the product, the district implemented Ask AI across the district.
From the start, implementation was straightforward. “It was really, really easy,” Conor shared. “Probably one of the best implementations of a new product. Once we could control our own branding, we decided to keep the name (“Ask SVSD”) and color it for each school. We copied the script, pasted it, and we were off and rolling.”
The district launched just a week before school started—a bold move given the amount of website traffic headed to the site. Questions about forms, bus routes, start times, policies, lunch menus… The website’s search features would have provided some assistance, but Ask AI’s contextual understanding of a user’s question provides branded, accurate, real-time answers in a conversational tone.
“It was the right decision, because the information was already on the website,” said Conor. “Some people just don’t want to spend time looking; they want to get their question answered.”
“We’re saving our front office time from phone calls and emails...We’re getting fewer and fewer questions that can be answered by the website.”
The Results: Data-Driven Engagement and Time Saved
“We can now build a communication plan that anticipates needs and plans ahead,” said Conor.
“Now, when people come to our website, I can see what they’re asking. In August, I know 90% of our families are looking for this. In the fall, it’s information about conferences. That’s been great, but what I'm really looking forward to is year two and three... It's going to help us be ahead of the game because we know what people are looking for, and we can be more effective and more intentional about content.”
The chatbot has also reduced the volume of calls and emails to district offices. “We’re saving our front office time from phone calls and emails,” Conor said. “I oversee our general email account, and we’re getting fewer and fewer questions that can be answered by the website.”
Ask AI also ties into Snoqualmie Valley’s broader goals supporting academic excellence, student well-being, and operational efficiency—all priorities in the district’s strategic plan. And with the ability to understand and respond to questions in 45+ languages, it's closing the communication gap for non-English-speaking families in the district.
“With our language access law, we have to make sure we’re taking those steps,” Conor said, noting that, as one of the geographically largest districts in the state, its schools serve families speaking more than 45 languages. “If families are using the tool in another language, that’s something we can measure and learn from.”
The district also found new ways to apply the tool, like using it to upload and search board policies so information is easier for administrators to find and reference. “We were able to kind of do a quick test run, and it gave a great answer for our admin,” Conor shared. “Now we’re excited to roll that out for our principals and assistant principals.”
Building Stronger Family Connections
Having seen a dip in family engagement, especially coming out of Covid, Ask AI is quickly becoming part of Snoqualmie Valley’s long-term plan to strengthen its relationships with the wider community.
“We’re trying to repair those relationships and bring them back into the fold,” shared Conor. “It’s another cog in this giant machine that’s going to bring more families to our events and get people back into our buildings to our pre-pandemic levels. We’re meeting families where their expectations are.”
While it started as a means to reduce and simplify its tech, Snoqualmie Valley gained something even more valuable with Ask AI: a clearer picture of what its families need.
“For the first time, I’m getting access into the minds of the people coming to our website,” Conor said. “This helps us do our jobs a little bit easier, and that’s something every district can appreciate.”
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