From time to time, we get asked, “Why should I pay for school and district websites when I can build them myself for free?” It’s a fair question. There are a lot of free content management systems (CMS) out there.

Whenever I talk to technology leaders at smaller school districts, a consistent theme comes up: They face similar challenges of school systems ten times their size, yet have to confront them with much smaller staffs. Such is the case of Dixon Public Schools, which wanted to relaunch its district and five school websites.

The more efficient your crisis communication strategy is, the more time you can dedicate towards actually solving and addressing your crisis.

How parents and your entire community perceive your schools is tremendously important. Parents have influence over the overall point of view of the community, government and even their children who attend a school.

Schools must maintain websites that are accessible to individuals with disabilities to ensure compliance with two main regulations.