April showers bring…a wave of new site launches from Finalsite! From an 80+ school district in sunny California to an equally impressive school more than 8,000 miles away, we're taking a closer look at the web design, content, and user experience of the schools and districts worldwide that have recently launched beautiful and accessible new websites with Finalsite. 

Check out the latest round-up of school website launches for April 2023!

International School Bangkok

What a truly unique website experience! A long vertical scroll slowly unveils panel after panel of differentiators, school divisions, the school’s proud history, video testimonials, and of course, Panther Pride. It doesn’t stop there though — the International School of Bangkok presents a wealth of information on its facilities, the International Baccalaureate program, and the school community — all beautifully featured in one of the more interesting web designs we’ve seen.

There are a lot more notable gems across the site, too. A drop-down menu to ask questions from stakeholders, welcoming videos that showcase the different divisions, and branded hashtags that unite the online community.

The design elements and warm reds and yellows throughout the site are remarkable — set against the Bangkok skyline, the set of panthers meander through panels and section dividers, subtly resting toward the footer. It’s a wonderful cultural tie into the school and community spirit!

Proctor Academy

“Live to Learn. Learn to Live” is the motto greeting users before a panel of beautiful photos loads on its homepage — but there aren’t many photos of students in desks or classrooms at this private co-ed day and boarding school. It seems like the world is their classroom and with a 2,500 acre-property, it’s fitting.

Scroll halfway down the page, and users are paused at a panel highlighting off-campus experiences, boarding life, and afternoon programs among a host of other features. It’s a great way to announce its differentiators and really make users aware of the various programs.

There’s a lot to offer and explore on the site — a full main and sub-menu will keep visitors busy learning about student life activities, its education model, admission information, and lots, lots more.

Be sure to check out:

• The Buzz: A great mashup of campus news, blogs, podcasts, and student life!
• Off-Campus Experiences: An exciting overview of sea-faring adventures and outdoor learning opportunities.
• Custom Directory Profiles: Filterable and searchable faculty and staff directory with photos and profiles.

Merced County Office of Education

Merced’s new site is now the digital home to a diverse group of students in 20 school districts serving nearly 60,000 students. Branded oranges, purples, and browns brand this site well, and the curvature of content boxes and panels put an interesting design spin on its content like news, highlights, and programs.

The easy-to-find icons toward the top of the page are great for quick access to key pages like the board agenda, professional development opportunities, and the Merced County Schools.

Prestfelde School

There’s an appropriate degree of formality to Prestfelde’s new site. As a leading, co-educational prep school for girls and boys aged 3-13 in the UK, there’s a sense of tradition and honor, mixed with forward-thinking programs within an inspirational and thriving community.

There’s a great collection of images within its homepage’s hero section — moments of discovery, joy, and the genuine wonderment of childhood. From there, a simple welcome and a question: Where will your journey start?

There’s a lot for users to explore — a wealth of insights into the school’s history and its academic programs, as well as its pastoral and boarding information. Well done!

Corbett Preparatory School

Corbett’s new site is playful and as a PreK3 - 8th grade in Tampa, Florida, it captures the wonderment of education so well. Shades of purple complement the greens and blues found in its lakes, leaves, and peacocks wandering around campus — an environment where innovation and creativity thrive.

The divisional panels, community voices, and news and social pop off the page to create an interesting collage-like feel as different sections fade in as users scroll.

Be on the lookout for:

• The parent section with resources for joining the parent community, important dates, and school information
• Engaging panels through the site to call out program highlights, student activities, giving opportunities, testimonials, and more!

Long Beach Unified School District

A lot of thought, heart, and strategy went into the development and launch of Long Beach’s new website redesign. For a top district in California with more than 80 schools, LBUSD’s new site certainly stands out as one of the best.

There’s a lot of pride for the district — featured news and district highlights are front and center, calendar updates share the latest happenings, social posts help keep content fresh, and a panel asking “Why LBUSD” provides more than enough answers to better understand why it’s a top district. 

Its commitment to excellence and equality is supported by stories of inclusion and recognition from the state. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes too with custom infographics, icon buttons, line breaks, custom video features, image boxes and enhancements, and landing pages.

Don’t miss these highlights:

• LBUSD’s bond site
• A custom timeline on the homepage and interior pages
• Social media integration on the homepage
• An A-Z index in the utility nav for easy browsing

St. Paul’s Episcopal High School - CA

A full video panel places St. Paul’s in the heart of Oakland, CA, a K-8 school that “sparks” curiosity, advocacy, and community for its young adults. Its navigation is on the left side, along with inquire, visit, and apply, helping users find their way easily around the site. It also works to contain the site's content within that area, a nice change from some of the popular scrolling experiences we often see.

The curved edges of the spinning radial are mirrored through the site’s design too — rounded panels flow into each other, tied together nicely by the branded warm gold and brown tones.

Stroudsburg Area School District

Stroudsburg proudly leads with its mission of empowering all students through their pursuit of knowledge. As the “Pride of the Poconos,” Stroudsburg highlights the district’s vision for the school community while highlighting the latest news and upcoming events.

It’s a nice blend of content to entertain returning families, as well as inform new families looking to learn more about the district. There’s a similar look and feel between the district school and the individual school sites as well — that familiar design and aesthetics will help families navigate between the sites easily and support the user experience. Nicely done!

Theme Launches

More than two dozen schools and districts launched their theme sites in April. Congratulations on your successful website redesigns.

• Waterford Township School District
• North Montgomery Community School Corp
• Centennial School District 12 
• Cherokee County School District
• Centennial Academy
• Eastern Greene Schools
• Redlands Christian Schools
• Newman Catholic Schools
• Alvarado Independent School District
• Sunnyside School District 
   
• Monroe-Gregg School District
• Stride Academy
• Cornerstone Preparatory Academy
• NOVA International Schools
• Appling County School District
• South Range Local School District
• Williamstown School District
• NewHope Academy
• Chimacum School District
   
• Collins Career Technical Center
• Shoals Christian School
• School Town of Munster
• Live Oak School District
• Waterford Township School District
• North Montgomery Community School Corp
   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.