This time of year, when we focus on community, family, and giving thanks, it's inspiring to see so many school districts launching new websites that strengthen their bonds with community members.

A host of new district websites have recently launched, and while these new sites are where families can find valuable information, discover new programs, and connect to their child's education, they also serve an important role in representing a commitment to building strong relationships with their extended communities.

They're especially helpful for families new to the area or those looking to become more involved in their child's schooling.

Let's take a look at some of the designs, content, and user experiences of districts that launched their Finalsite websites this November and celebrate how schools are using them to support student success.

Fort Smith Public Schools | Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith Public Schools has launched a new website that seamlessly blends captivating illustrations, photos, animations, video, and typography to create an immersive experience that invites users on an exciting journey.

As the district shared, “Our website draws inspiration from the natural beauty of our region. It reflects the endless possibilities of the expansive starry skies and the heights students can reach through the opportunities offered at Fort Smith Public Schools.”

The website's central theme of exploration uses mountains, campfires, and the compass in the district's seal to evoke a sense of adventure and wonder—a theme that cleverly connects to the district's mission of helping students reach their full potential and "find their true north."

The homepage provides an intuitive user experience, seamlessly transitioning between sections of dark purples and blacks into a warm welcome from the superintendent, information about the district's innovative programs, impressive fast facts, and a spotlight on the dedicated people (like Miss America 2024!) who make up the Fort Smith community.

A prominent "hamburger menu" expands to reveal a well-organized and easy-to-navigate menu, complete with icons for quick access to different areas of the site. Interior pages maintain the same high level of design, featuring bold content elements that are easily digestible on any device, like a tablet, laptop, or smartphone.

Adding to the site's visual appeal, pages are framed by a captivating starry nightscape, while the footer features a silhouette of trees against a mountain range, grounding the user experience—so creative!

The website boasts a wide range of custom features, including image buttons, full-width containers, alternate accordion colors for content organization, and animated heading text, all of which tell the story of how the district "moves the needle." Wonderful job!

Oakwood City Schools | Oakwood, Ohio

Oakwood City Schools has launched a new website that thoughtfully blends visual appeal and user-friendliness. The homepage begins with a video showcasing the exciting activities happening in the district's classrooms, and after a collection of mobile-friendly icons, the design uses a vibrant color scheme to create a welcoming browsing experience.

From there, the homepage includes a news section, upcoming events, and quick links that direct visitors to important information like calendars, athletics, lunch menus, and resources.

To navigate the site, an "I want to..." dropdown menu with options to find information, contact the communications office, access resources, get involved with the community, and more. There's a dedicated section for family resources, with a landing page that gathers recent communications, calendar events, helpful links, and many more resources.

There’s a lot to enjoy, like the animated "fast facts" that highlight the district's achievements and commitment to excellence. The superintendent also maintains an engaging "Father Together" blog—a great resource that provides insight, thought leadership, and a deeper connection to the school community.

A shared in a recent post about the launch, "The new website reflects Oakwood City Schools' updated brand guidelines, mission, and vision, presenting a vibrant and engaging space to celebrate our students, staff, and programs. Drawing insights from focus groups and webpage metrics, the site was designed with the user experience in mind...We are proud of this step forward in improving our communication and look forward to continuing to strengthen the partnership between Oakwood Schools, our families and the broader community."

Scholarship Prep Public Schools | Orange, California

While technically a network of charter schools in Southern California, we wanted to spend a few moments talking about Scholarship Prep Public Schools’ new site—it's certainly one you don't want to miss.

The homepage immediately captures attention with its "reach higher, dream bigger" text, followed by a strong call to action, encouraging visitors to inquire, apply, or donate. The site’s clean design, engaging visuals, and informative content highlight the school's offerings and commitment to student success, while the inspiring language sets the tone for the rest of the site.

As users scroll, they encounter an animation that highlights the school's various programs, including academics, athletics, and arts, and the “at a glance" section provides key statistics about the school's students, its growing campuses, and the STEAM program, among others. The site also emphasizes differentiators like the free after-school program and the school's focus on community and kindness.

Be sure to check out the:

• Parallax design elements that create a very cool visual effect as text animates and moves into position.
• Recent news and campus events that are prominently displayed on the homepage.
• Integrated social media feeds from X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The website's design is enhanced even further with content cards, full-width panels, image buttons, custom icons, and slideshows, all of which contribute to a user-friendly and engaging experience. Lovely!

Congratulations to Scholarship Prep and all the district sites that went live in November!

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.