Sonoma Valley to revamp all school websites

All Sonoma Valley district schools will be sporting newly revamped websites before year’s end, according to district Superintendent Louann Carlomagno. The key features include a cleaner design, improved navigation, better calendar functions, social media updates, accessible timely announcements and improved staff directory pages. The websites will also be designed to be viewed on mobile devices as well as home computers.

The new platform for the elementary schools and district office websites is Schoolwires, a Blackboard, Inc. product. Carlomagno said that the district chose the vendor after extensive research. She expects that a decision will be reached regarding the new vendor for the middle and high schools websites by the end of 2016.

“One of our primary district goals is to increase parent engagement to better support student learning,” Carlomagno added. “We found that many of our parents view our website from a variety of devices, not just a computer, and our websites were not easily viewable on smartphones and tablets. Our research also underlined the importance of incorporating tools and applications that make a website more of a total communications platform.”

The project leaders are Jen Matthews, the district’s K-12 educational technology coordinator, and IT manager Tracy Dennis. The website refreshes for the middle and high school websites is being managed by a community volunteer. To assist with the transition to Schoolwires for both elementary and the district websites, the district contracted with a local website consultant who is also a parent in our school community. “The biggest expense in this project is the design and migration,” said Carlomagno. “And that portion has been funded by the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation.”

Prestwood Elementary School was selected as the pilot for the first refresh because the website consultant had familiarity with the school website and its content. El Verano Elementary’s new site is now also live and the remaining elementary sites will be rolled out within the next couple of weeks. The other campuses and the district website will follow over the next few months.

The new websites will include social media feeds, easy access to school newsletters, and up-to-date school videos and announcements. A new mobile platform will enable principals to upload fresh content at anytime.

“We’re also launching a new paperless eflyer system, from Peachjar, on our websites,” said Carlomagno. “This district-branded mobile app will allow access to social media content, announcements, eflyers, links to the student information system and other school apps, sports information and school calendars. It is going to be an exciting new tool for our parents, students and community.