Casa Grande Union High School District weighs AI 'CG Chat' to speed parent communication

The Casa Grande Union High School District governing board on June 8 heard a staff presentation on an AI-powered customer-service tool intended to give families instant answers on registration, bus routes, lunch menus and other routine questions.

Jennifer Courtson, the district’s director and public information officer, told the board the platform (an Aptagy feature the district calls a “community experience” chat) combines AI search and chat with smart routing and unified task management that converts inquiries into trackable tasks for staff. "This tool not only helps us answer questions quickly, but it also gives us valuable insight into what our families and community need to know," Courtson said.

Courtson reviewed social-media analytics she said supported the investment: district followers rose from roughly 10,877 to about 12,350 in six months and video engagement has increased markedly. She demonstrated how the chat could return immediate answers — for example, a student’s bus route, whether a day is an early release or the day’s lunch — and then route more complex requests to staff.

The superintendent’s office and Courtson framed the tool as a way to reduce repetitive phone and email traffic, improve accuracy and expand multilingual access. Courtson said the vendor’s analytics would also let communications staff identify recurring questions and create proactive content, such as short videos and targeted posts.

Courtson provided a cost estimate: a $10,000 annual subscription plus a one-time, discounted setup fee of $625, for a first-year cost of $10,625 and $10,000 in subsequent years. She suggested implementation in the summer of 2026 so the service could be live before the 2026–27 school year.

Board members asked detailed operational questions, including whether there are additional storage or retention fees, whether the product supports phone-based (voice) interactions and how prominent the chat box can be on the district website and app; Courtson said she would confirm storage/retention terms and that the chat feature can be made more prominent and included in the district app.

No purchase motion was taken during the meeting. Courtson and board members said a likely next step would be to pursue procurement through the district’s regular purchasing process and to pilot the service while reallocating existing advertising and communications funds to cover the subscription.

The board thanked Courtson for the demonstration; staff will provide follow-up details on data retention and any additional costs before any contract decision.