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New school Web site: District hopes users find information easier
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · August 22, 2014


S-O-U- … Umm. S-O-U-R-A-D-A? That doesn’t look quite right.


Trying to find a teacher’s name on the new West Branch Community School’s Web site, but can’t remember how to spell it?

Not to worry, Web designer Matt Chinander told the Board of Education last week. Just do your best.

“It’s smart enough to find it if you’re close,” he said of the search directory.

That above misspelling of first-grade teacher Karie Souhrada’s name worked. So did “Surada,” “Sarada” and “Serada.”

And “Letje,” “Ledge” and “Ledje” all correctly kicked back middle school band instructor Leah Ledtje.

It even works for titles. When this reporter punched in “principle,” all three school principal’s names — Shannon Bucknell, Jess Burger and Sara Oswald — made the search results list.

Chinander at the Aug. 11 school board meeting walked school board members through the new Web site, which went live last week.

The Web site will also soon feature a “chat box” where visitors can communicate with the superintendent’s secretary, assuming she is sitting at her desk at the time.

“If Laura (Gongora) is on her computer, she can read it and respond,” Chinander said. “It’s a really easy system, like messaging.”

Board President Kathy Knoop called that a “nice convenience to have.”

Chinander said one of the driving factors for the new design was simplify, putting most-used pages fewer clicks away. On the top left of the home page are links to school calendars and the staff directory.

There is also a red “Quick Links” button that makes those selections No. 2 and No. 3 on the list, right after back-to-school information.

Chinander said he designed the Web site so staff could easily post notices on the home page, especially things like school cancellations or late starts.

“We’re trying to be transparent,” Superintendent Kevin Hatfield said.

The Web site can also complement alerts sent through cell phones and e-mails, Chinander said. If the school board desires, he can connect alerts to Twitter and Facebook.

Hatfield said he would like that, and board member Mike Owen said “I think that is more important than the Web site” for reaching people quickly.

Knoop wondered if creating accounts on Twitter and Facebook would generate some objectionable comments that would require school staff to spend time monitoring those accounts.

Chinander said there are “lots of tools” on Facebook to control objectionable content.

Board member Deb Schreiber suggested adding a “Next” button to allow visitors to navigate through pages of policies.

“That’s a good suggestion,” Chinander said. “I can do that.”

Hatfield said the schools will also look at posting many of the forms and documents that get sent home with children, what he called “backpack papers.”