Dive Brief:
- Districts must now build their websites to suit the displays and demands of multiple devices, as well as integrate closely with social media.
- As a result, more districts are turning to custom-built or open source websites to satisfy their needs.
- Others have instead opted for one-stop-shop approaches to purchase website designs, alongside all necessary tech support, as well.
Dive Insight:
Open-source sites, through Wordpress or Drupal, can appeal to districts looking to create a website uniquely suited to their needs. “With our previous, closed-source vendor solution, there were many times when we wanted to do something innovative, but we were limited by the functionality provided,” Cameron Barrett, senior manager of website technology at Newark Public Schools, told District Administration. “Technology is moving far too fast for most vendors to keep up.”
The freedom means districts can find solutions for designing websites to suit all mobile devices and send push notifications. The approach can work well for districts with large IT departments, but some district leaders urge caution about taking on the project with a small staff and fewer safety constraints. “It’s easier and more cost-effective to have someone else manage the technical aspects of it,” Josephine McKenrick, a spokeswoman for Mariemont City Schools in Ohio told District Administration.
