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Campbell City Schools debuts new website
By EMMALEE C. TORISK
CAMPBELL
Campbell City Schools are starting the new school year with a new website.
The new district website — custom designed through SchoolPointe, which provides schools and school districts with website designs and content-management tools — debuted Aug. 1.
It’s “leaps and bounds above what we had before,” said Danielle Broz, a central-registration secretary who helps to make sure the website, at www.campbell.k12.oh.us, is regularly updated.
Building and district adminstrators also have access to the website-management tools.
“It’s very easy to use and very user friendly,” Broz added.
Matthew Bowen, superintendent of Campbell City Schools, noted that the new website was tailored to the district’s needs and that it was based on feedback received from both staff and community members. Many indicated that the previous website was hard to navigate, for example.
He noted that the previous website had been only tweaked, not majorly overhauled, over the past few years. So, when the decision was made to update, he and others involved in the collaborative process “went out and researched other schools,” then decided what would work best for Campbell.
The new website already is more visually appealing than the old one, Bowen noted. In addition, it’s easier to change its appearance, “always allowing it to be current.”
Ever-changing photographs of events and students can be displayed prominently on the website, as can information about district wide or building-specific happenings. Campbell Board of Education minutes are featured on the website — the district believes in “transparency and allowing our entire community access to this information,” Bowen said — and a new alumni section highlights the accomplishments of the district’s graduates.
The website also remains easy to navigate even when using various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Last year, the board of education approved the one-time spending of $2,500 to create the website, while website maintenance will carry an annual fee of about $500.
In reality, though, because the district plans to soon do away with its subscription to SurveyMonkey, a Web-based survey service, the annual fee will be less. The new website includes surveys and other communication tools.
Bowen acknowledged that much work remains to be done.
“We will continue to improve our communications through the website,” he said. “We always look forward to feedback from our stakeholders on how we can best present information.”