District 128 previews redesigned website; officials ask community for feedback

District 128 officials on Aug. 25 briefed the board on a redesigned district website, saying the new structure reduces clutter, improves accessibility and loads faster on mobile devices.

Why it matters: A streamlined, ADA-compliant site can improve family access to schedules, contact information and district resources.

Mary (communications director) told the board the previous site was built in 2017 and had grown to “several thousands of pages” with duplicate or outdated content. The new structure follows industry best practices, relies on analytics and aims to provide better consistency across schools, improved accessibility monitoring, and a faster loading experience for mobile users.

Mary said the site saw about 3,400 visitors in the first month after a soft launch in mid-July; less than 1% of visitors completed the voluntary feedback form. She reported that 50–56% of visitors used mobile devices, underscoring the need for mobile-friendly design.

Board members asked staff to make the feedback link more visible in official communications and suggested adding a line about the site redesign to district email signatures to prompt responses. Staff said they are training additional editors and exploring webmaster support.

What the board did: This was an informational presentation; the board did not vote on the website at the Aug. 25 meeting.