Spring has arrived, and as we put the colder, dark days of winter behind us, site launches are in full bloom here at Finalsite. From SPRAs and BOCES to charter schools and districts across the country, dozens of Theme designs were popping up during our version of “March Madness.”

Theme designs offer a great starting point for a branded, responsive site that's budget-friendly and quicker to launch, but the final results we've seen are as diverse as the schools themselves. Each website reflects the school's character, values, and the community it serves, proving that within the framework of a Theme, there's plenty of room for customization and flair.

From beautiful site designs to engaging content and memorable user experiences, here’s the latest roundup of inspiring school website designs from Finalsite that launched in March!

27J Schools

Headquartered in Brighton, Colorado, 27J Schools was established in the late ‘50s when existing school districts were consolidated to form a network of schools focused on empowering students through innovative programs, including 18 STEM and career training options.

As shared by the district, they’ve redesigned their site to accomplish three main goals: 

• Make the most-used information easier to find
• Keep the information updated and consistent throughout the site
• Organize content in a way that makes sense to its community

When you’re a district that offers a different approach to learning, it makes sense to leverage a strategic partnership to help tell your story, position your district, and put your best digital foot forward, and that’s exactly what 27J Schools has done through working with Finalsite Advantage.

There’s a level of thoughtful organization and design, and with a host of information about school news and events, it captures the energy and forward-thining of the district so well.

Its homepage offers a lot, including its differentiators, eye-catching imagery, and multiple quick links to menus, bus schedules, and calendars. There are compelling pages to attract new students and employees, clearly outlining the many benefits of the district — including a 4-day workweek (are they hiring? Asking for a friend...)

The site is easy to navigate thanks to a search bar with popular pages, useful links, and a keyword search bar if you know what you’re looking for. There’s a lot to take in, but it’s well worth a visit for some inspiration!

Notre Dame Preparatory

As a Diocesan Catholic college preparatory high school in the Diocese of Phoenix, Notre Dame Preparatory is committed to strengthening the minds, bodies, and souls of its students. For two years in a row, the school’s been voted the "Best Private High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.”  

If you look closely, you’ll see a handful of subtle design touches throughout the site, like image buttons with angled overlays, mobile-friendly infographics, and engaging content neatly organized into grids for a pleasant browsing experience.

Don’t miss its robust Admissions section, which includes pages for financial aid, admission events, and an online form to collect high-level inquiry information for families. Sticky navigation keeps “inquire, visit, apply” conveniently in reach for users, and when families are ready to apply, Finalsite Enrollment streamlines that process with access to a Parent Portal with their Admissions or Enrollment Checklist.

Notre Dame Prep also helped celebrate the launch of its site by supporting a site launch video, which is a great way to inform its community about the site updates, key resources, and new features.

Avon Grove Charter School

Avon Grove Charter School’s new site takes a mobile-first approach to design. It features large image-based buttons, iconography to easily learn about offerings, and side navigation for quick access to virtual tours, capital campaign information, career opportunities, and more.

Its main navigation offers resources on admission and enrollment, information about programming, and its mission, while its omni navigation is clear and simple for users, as it's separated into “For parents,” “For students,” and “For Staff.”

There are many more highlights, including:

• Quick Links for Parents/Students at the top
• All Calendars on one page, filterable by division and visible by month, week, or day
• K-12 News has filters for K-3, 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12
• Streamlined Parent Hub

Beachwood City School District

Beachwood’s new site is a great example of how comprehensive and powerful a Theme design can be. Beachwood’s brand shines through content panels, engaging visuals, regular news updates, enticing CTAs, and so much more — all of which paint a picture of an engaged community serving the needs of its students and families.

As the district proudly showcased on its site, new highlights include: 

• Mobile-Friendly: Enjoy a seamless browsing experience on mobile devices with a cleaner and more accessible interface.
• Enhanced Navigation: A restructured the site architecture and menus for a more intuitive browsing experience.
• Updated Content: Rewritten content for accuracy and engagement.
• Explore Programs Easily: Academic and extracurricular programs with dedicated landing pages for each school within the district.
• Modern Design: The site features a fresh, clean look with stunning photos and galleries, highlighting the unique spirit and achievements of its school community.

Congratulations to Beachwood and all the schools for their wonderful new sites this month!

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.