It’s no overstatement to say that AI has absolutely rocked the education world. From homework to college entrance essays to how AI training interferes with adolescent screen-time guidelines, there are few educators for whom AI is not on their minds. But a recent study by SchoolCEO Magazine suggests that AI isn’t just changing the realities of education in the classroom—but also in the offices of administrators and school communicators who lead school districts.
In our mixed-methods study on AI in school communication, our team sought to understand how leading a school has changed with the snowballing popularity of AI. We specifically wanted to understand how AI is impacting the day-to-day experiences of school administrators. And from the small day-to-day tasks to the large strategic decisions, AI is quickly shifting the way school administrators work.
How AI Is Transforming Work for School Leaders and Communicators
Our survey found that 97% of respondents across roles and district types reported personally experimenting with AI tools for their professional duties. With that experimentation comes newfound familiarity. A substantial portion of the respondents consider themselves “somewhat familiar” (47%) or “very familiar” (40%), with only 11% describing themselves as “neutral” and 2% reporting being “not very familiar.” What’s more, many users were able to cite specific, transformational use cases at work—suggesting that AI is not just a fad, but a technology with the power to stick around.
What’s most interesting though, is the way that AI is being used. School administrators, with their mountains of tasks and propensity for wearing multiple “hats,” often find themselves bouncing between work that can be deeply meaningful, such as working with children and teachers directly, to tedious and thankless, such as reading hundreds of pages of paperwork when soliciting bids for a run-of-the-mill construction project, like a roof replacement. When it comes to the latter type of tasks, AI is a game-changer.
Dr. Corey Smith, superintendent of South Putnam Community Schools in Indiana explains, “Speaking personally, and from a central office perspective, this has really streamlined my work—and honestly, it’s done wonders for my wellbeing. In a small district where we all wear a lot of hats and don’t have much extra help, the AI has been a total game-changer. It’s allowed me to get so much more done in less time, and it’s helped me look really good to my school board, too. The summaries and reports I can now provide give them clear, useful information that I just didn’t have time to put together before.”
This is especially true for school communicators. Our previous research has shown us that nearly half of school communicators work on teams of one and with districts that can span dozens of campuses, every advantage is an opportunity. In the interview portion of our study, Cristina Capretta, director of marketing and community relations for Ohio’s Berea City Schools, describes AI as a multiplier and extension of her work. “It frees up my time, and that is the thing I love most about it,” she says. “It’s giving me more time to focus on listening, empathy, and just building trust with stakeholders—all of the things that make us human in our work.”
AI’s prevalence is surfacing at an opportune time for school leaders and communicators. Over the past 10 years, public schools across the country have faced heightened competition due to school choice. This competition has meant, for many districts, budget cuts and increased scrutiny in how funds are spent. If AI enables school administrators to work more effectively, it’s a resource many school leaders and communicators will be unlikely to ignore.
Rising Adoption Brings Real Concerns About Privacy, Security, and Equity
AI doesn’t come without its share of concerns. Over 60% of our survey respondents cited data privacy and security as one of their most significant roadblocks to wider adoption of AI. In an era where safeguarding sensitive student and staff information is a major challenge for school districts, it’s no surprise that the idea of feeding that data into third-party AI tools raised significant red flags. Many respondents also raised concerns about algorithmic bias and equity, underscoring that bias isn’t just a technical glitch; it’s an ethical issue with real-world consequences for students and communities.
This means that school leaders must proceed with both caution and excitement. At its core, education is and always will be a profoundly human endeavor. While AI can boost efficiency in your central office, it can never replace the personal connections at the heart of a successful school district. In both our survey and interviews, district leaders often described AI as a multiplier—a tool that gives them back the time and emotional bandwidth to focus on the work that matters most.
