# How it works

RecordAsk reads what the district already publishes. Staff ask from a passworded web app, email, Teams, Slack, or a website widget. Every answer names the file and page.

The record is already public. There is still no good way to ask those files in plain English.

Finding “where did we decide that?” still means hunting through years of PDFs — or waiting a week for someone to look it up.

RecordAsk indexes what a school district already publishes. Board and administration ask in plain English and get a cited answer. You keep PolicyMain and the website. We read both. We do not replace either.

- **Ask** — Board and administration ask in plain English. Agendas, minutes, policy.
- **Cited** — Every answer cites the published source.
- **Public** — No student data. No Infinite Campus. No IEPs.

## What it does

Ask in plain English. Get a cited answer.

- Click any citation. The original page opens with the words highlighted.
- Search agendas, minutes, policies, and attachments at once.
- Prefers the newest record when something has changed.
- Public records only. No student data. No Infinite Campus. No IEPs.

## On purpose

We do not replace the portal. We do not take student data.

We index what is already published. Answers cite the source.

1. Index only what the district already publishes — no student data, no IEPs
2. Sit downstream of PolicyMain, Finalsite, BoardDocs, or a PDF dump
3. Cite the published source on every answer.
4. Operate it under one district agreement. No public sign-up.
5. Keep the website and the policy host. We read. We do not replace.

## Where you ask

Deployed first on the web.

We also support the places district staff already work. Same cited answers. Other placements can be added when they fit.

- **Web app** — Passworded site for board and administration. Ask, search, open the source.

Add-ons:

- **Email** — Write a question. Get a cited reply.
- **Teams** — Ask from the chat staff already use.
- **Slack** — Ask in Slack. Same cited answers.
- **Google Chat** — Ask from Google Workspace. Same cited answers.
- **Website widget** — Same cited answers on the district website.
- **Custom domain** — RecordAsk on a hostname the district already owns.

## Three moves

Ask. Get an answer. Stay public.

Every answer cites what the district already publishes.

- **Ask** — Board and administration ask in plain English.
- **Cited** — Every answer points at the published source.
- **Public only** — If it is not already public, it is not in RecordAsk.

Contact: https://recordask.com/contact