Beyond BoardDocs: Why and how Diligent is investing in the future of governance for education
Public education is the foundation of thriving communities. School boards face rising expectations for transparency, compliance, and accountability, all while managing complex processes.
For me, building technology for mission-driven organizations isn’t just a career — it’s a calling. Every school board meeting, policy update and community interaction is a chance to foster trust and drive positive outcomes.
That’s why Diligent is all-in on governance and AI innovation built specifically for public education. We believe great technology can remove friction and complexity, empowering boards to improve student outcomes and increase community trust.
Our customers’ unique mandate
Governing a public school district goes far beyond running meetings. It’s about fostering transparency, inclusion and making decisions that impact entire communities. Public school boards must comply with open meeting laws, communicate in ADA-compliant and accessible ways, respond to public inquiries, and secure sensitive data.
Generic business software doesn’t meet these needs. That’s why our team is passionate about building solutions specifically for educators and the public sector. Many of our team members come from these industries — former board clerks and secretaries who bring invaluable insight to our products. Our investment in AI and next-gen governance is about supporting your mission.
Trust is at the heart of what we do
Diligent software supports over 14,000 mission-driven organizations globally, including thousands of school districts and colleges. Every hour our software saves an administrator, every simplified policy update, is time that can be redirected to improving educational outcomes.
Efficient, transparent governance helps school boards:
- Foster public trust with accessible meetings and records
- Meet evolving security and compliance standards
- Respond quickly to changing needs and expectations.
Listening and innovating together
BoardDocs pioneered paperless board management in the early 2000s. Building on that legacy, we launched Diligent Community — a modern, cloud-based platform focused on accessibility, digital engagement and end-to-end meeting efficiency.
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and the Board of Education at Aspen School District tells us,
Innovation means continual improvement. Features like live AI-generated minutes, the policy timeline, and mobile-first design aren’t just “nice-to-haves”. They’re essential tools that save time, reduce errors and make vital governance information accessible to everyone.
Making meetings effortless and transparent
School boards are busier and more visible than ever. Our goal with Diligent Community is to streamline every step, from agenda creation to minute-taking to publishing, so boards can focus on action, not admin.
Marquardt School District 15 moved early to Diligent Community for its modern, mobile-friendly design. Jaime Durkowski, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board reflects on their transition: “Templates and the ability to prepopulate information in the minutes before the meeting saves time and enhances the smooth running of meetings. It takes me less time to complete my minutes and I feel it makes my job easier.”
We’re also investing in features that radically cut down post-meeting work. As Alice Black puts it, “Diligent Community has been fantastic for us. During one of our more complex board meetings, the ability to use live minutes was a game-changer. It significantly reduced the amount of work I had to do after the meeting, making the process basically nonexistent. It has probably cut down a quarter of my work.” For administrators, that’s precious time returned to supporting the districts’ strategic goals and priorities.
Simplifying policy management
Districts juggle hundreds of evolving policies under scrutiny for accessibility and compliance. Diligent Community’s Policy Publisher helps teams draft, compare, approve and publish policies — all with built-in accessibility checks and seamless integration into meetings so that board members have a simpler way to review proposed changes and make more informed decisions.
“The redlining capability and centralized document management make policy updates and approvals much more efficient,” shares Shiona Nash, Executive Assistant at Fountain-Fort Carson School District.
Our team is proud that we’re making these workflows faster and simpler — it feels great knowing we’re helping districts stay audit-ready, transparent, and legally compliant.
Building products that reflect your needs
It’s not just about features — it’s about partnership. Myra Lomahan from Southwestern College told us, "We’ve worked very closely with the Diligent Community support team. They are fantastic and very responsive to our feedback, improving the platform to better suit our needs." That level of customer support is foundational; as Myra adds, “The visually modern design and user-friendly interface made the transition to Diligent Community a no-brainer.”
What’s next for Diligent Community
Our roadmap is shaped by customer feedback. Here’s what’s coming:
Smarter post-meeting AI assistance
Accurate minutes are crucial. Our AI-driven closed captioning and live transcripts help boards:
- Produce minutes faster with fewer errors
- Correct transcripts in real time
- Ensure accessibility for all stakeholders
Automation for efficiency
We’re simplifying manual tracking:
- Unique numbering for motions/resolutions
- Click-to-create summary and signatory sheets
Enhanced policy tools
Policy work is critical but often cumbersome. If we can make one part of your policy lifecycle dramatically easier, that’s the kind of impact I get excited about. We’re delivering:
- Real-time collaborative editing with accessibility checks
- Version comparison and seamless merging
- Integration with policy service providers
- Visual annotations for clarity
- Easy management of citations and attachments
Inclusive design
We’re going beyond WCAG 2.2 AA standards to ensure everyone — students, parents, teachers, board members — can access information from any device. We see firsthand how features like live AI-generated captions and livestreamed meetings make the work of the board more accessible to the entire community.
AI-powered insights
Soon, our Smart Search will let users ask natural language questions and get summarized answers from public records. Imagine being able to quickly identify how other districts in the state or nationally are addressing legislative changes through policy.
All-in on the future
Better governance strengthens public education. Every improvement we make helps educators focus on student success. AI isn’t replacing the human touch, it’s amplifying voices and saving time.
As one longtime user put it, “Diligent Community looks completely different. But don’t let that stop you from making the switch, because the completely different look is a good thing. The features in Community are sharp and timely. You’ll look back at a BoardDocs agenda after a few months and be wowed at the upgrade."
Wowing our customers and helping them be better at governance fuels our team’s passion every day. We believe public servants in education deserve the best technology, and we’re proud to build tools that support their mission now and into the future.
