February’s the shortest month, but it often feels like the longest stretch of winter. Just when that mid-year slump can start to settle in, what better way for a school district to inject a jolt of fresh energy than with a brand new website design?

These recent public school website launches feel exactly like that—a welcome boost of inspiration in the middle of the school year to get our spirits soaring.

Let’s take a look at these redesigned sites that are showcasing thoughtful approaches to design, user experience, and content, and see how these districts are now better equipped than ever to tell their story and connect with their communities.

Meridian Technology Center

Showers of sparks, lab equipment, power tools, and cameras—right from the start, users are drawn in by a high-energy montage showing all the different opportunities and training programs Meridian offers. "At Meridian, nothing teaches like experience"—so true!

From there, the homepage lays out Meridian's core values, mission, and vision and what they're aiming to achieve. Then, panels rotate through more details about their full-time programs, covering a wide range of areas like industry-focused training, workforce development, apprenticeships, and adult education.

The design elements are executed with a smart mix of rounded and square shapes, balanced with sharp, diagonal lines to give the site a dynamic and modern feel. Throughout the website, you'll see custom icons and pops of its brand colors that tie it all together nicely, like the "by the numbers" area.

And just like a traditional district website might feature its different schools, Meridian does a great job of highlighting its individual campuses and course material. There's a great use of the Finalsite Post module to display its course catalogue, assisted by a keyword search and filters to find everything from car care and life support certification to "backyard chickens." 

It's powerful to hear directly from students about their experiences at Meridian, and the collection of testimonials shares stories about what they've learned, how Meridian has challenged them to grow, and how they've gained confidence and valuable new skills. 

The new Meridian Technology Center website is a big step forward in telling their story. It's visually appealing, easy to use, and clearly explains all the opportunities they offer—great job!

City Schools of Decatur

City Schools of Decatur has officially launched their new website, and it looks great! The district homepage grabs your attention with a slideshow featuring a variety of activities and programs happening throughout the school district.

Scrolling down the homepage, the main navigation collapses into a more compact and easy-to-use menu to keep the site clean and focused, no matter where you are on the page. You'll find a clear statement of the district's mission, and here, visitors can easily learn about its core values.

The website also features a news and events section, a great place to see what's coming up around the district quickly and to catch up on the latest news stories from different schools.

For those who need to find specific information quickly, there's a helpful "at-a-glance" section which provides quick links to important topics like joining the district, enrollment information, and details about the district’s strategic plan.

Throughout the site, you'll notice branded pops of greens, yellows, and vibrant blues to draw attention to key statistics and important information about the district for a visually consistent look.

The website is clearly set up for success with its streamlined navigation and mobile-friendly design. It’s straightforward and easy to use, which is exactly what you want in a site like this. Nice work!

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

The newly launched P-CCS website is being lauded for its thoughtful and user-centric redesign—take a look! 

Thanks to its accessibility and ease of use, navigating the site is now significantly smoother with enhanced search features, intuitive dropdown menus, and a clear organizational structure built around sections like "Learn, Prepare, Thrive, and Our Community." 

Beyond improved functionality, the website features a fresh, modern aesthetic. Dynamic hero slideshows and subtle branding elements, drawn from the P-CCS color palette, bring a consistent branding that extends throughout the site.

The recurring "Learn, Prepare, Thrive" theme, coupled with messaging around being "globally focused, locally connected," reinforces the district's core principles. A particularly touching feature is the inclusion of student testimonials paired with "then and now" photos, which is a wonderful addition that visually demonstrates the transformative journey P-CCS offers.

Finally, the website offers a wealth of information across key areas, from detailed enrollment procedures to up-to-date news and events, all presented within a well-organized and user-friendly framework. Lovely work!

Ouachita Parish School System

The Ouachita Parish School System's new website launch checks all the boxes for a successful school district website, complete with standout visuals, clear messaging, intuitive navigation, and a mobile-friendly design.

Right away, the homepage grabs your attention with a slideshow that delivers news with a graphic overlay showing headlines and a call-to-action to learn more—a smart, engaging way to keep people informed from the moment they land on the site.

Navigating the site is straightforward, complete with branded icons under the slideshow for quick access to things like:

• Calendar: Straight to events–essential for families.
• Transportation: Easy access to bus routes and schedules—a must-have.
• Job Opportunities: Clear path for those seeking employment–important for the district and community.
• Departments: Simple way to find the right contact or information.

Moving down the page, the two-column layout is a smart way to organize content, putting district updates right next to videos and podcasts to give users options for how they want to get their information—some might prefer a quick news snippet, others might want to engage more with video or audio content. Then, highlighting upcoming events right after that keeps families in the loop on what's happening.

The “by the numbers” stats are a nice touch to convey the size and reach of the district quickly. It’s impactful to see those key figures like student enrollment and employee count displayed front and center.

Accessibility seems to be a real focus, which is excellent. Having that one-click translation built-in immediately makes the site more inclusive. Incorporating AudioEye’s tools for visual adjustments caters to a range of user needs and preferences with options for contrast adjustments, color shifts, text sizing, and more.

Finally, a top-right menu to separate the high school, middle, and elementary schools is a nice design detail. And the idea of consistent user experience across the main district site and individual school sites promises a cohesive and easy-to-navigate online presence overall, which really strengthens the district brand. Congrats!

Ottawa Area Intermediate School District

Ottawa Area ISD has launched their new website and it definitely makes a strong visual impression right away! The first thing you notice is the use of color – It feels energetic and modern with those bright greens and vibrant blues popping up across the site.

One of the standout features is the interactive district map, which lets users hover over the surrounding area to get quick info and links to different schools. It’s a very clever idea that’s equally visually engaging as it is useful for navigating such a large district. And it’s great to see this feature works just as well on mobile—a responsive design is key these days, and they’ve nailed it.

The branding is also really well-integrated throughout the site, with waves of color and the background design elements creating a cohesive visual theme. Even the animations on hover for news stories and calls-to-action add a subtle layer of polish and interactivity.

The employment page is particularly well-developed with features like fun facts, employee testimonials, and even an integrated social media feed pulling in employment-related posts. It's great for giving potential employees a feel for the district culture and energy.

And speaking of energy, the overall color palette with greens, oranges, and blues really comes through. Even something as simple as the lime green search box reinforces that playful, energetic vibe.

Congratulations to Ottawa Area ISD and all the districts that went live in February—these beautiful sites will serve their communities so well!

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.