Phoenix Union High School District, Arizona

District Mission: Preparing Every Student for Success in College, Career, and Life.

Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) serves nearly 30,000 students in Arizona’s capital city and is especially well-known for its diverse array of over 500 course offerings. The district has 24 campuses, including innovative schools such as the Camelbak Montessori College Preparatory School and the Franklin Fire and Police High School. 

What we love about this school website design:

Phoenix Union’s school website is just as vibrant as the district itself—and is packed full of beautiful imagery, dynamic call-to-action buttons, and modern design elements that illustrate the vast array of experiences that PXU has to offer for students and employees alike. 

We especially love the big and bold enrollment buttons featured at the top left-hand and bottom right-hand sides of the home page, making it easy for families to know exactly where to find more enrollment information and where to register their children.

The website also includes comprehensive spaces for prospective families, students, and prospective teachers and staff. No matter who you are or what you’re curious about, this school web design makes navigation easy and pleasant—all while featuring beautiful photos of real students and staff on every page.

Portage Public Schools, Michigan

District Vision: To be an exceptional, continuously improving learning culture with high expectations, committed to all!

Portage Public Schools is a well-regarded school community outside of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Portage celebrated its 100th year of service in 2022—and they’re serious about making the next century even better. Portage serves nearly 9,000 students on 14 innovative campuses, including eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools. 

What we love about this school website design:

When it comes to ease of access and excellent translations throughout, Portage’s school website shines above the rest. We love the clear attention to detail that Portage’s staff—including Community Relations team members Michelle Karpinski & Kayla Miller—have put into making sure their district website is simple to navigate, no matter who you are and what information you need. Portage’s Live Feed function is vibrant, frequently updated, and focused on telling the positive story about what it means to be a member of the Portage Public Schools community. If you head to the Points of Pride page, you’ll find lots of statistics that showcase what excellence looks like at Portage—and why being a part of their community means being part of that excellence. 

Humble ISD, Texas

District Mission: Our purpose, in partnership with families and community, is to develop each child intellectually, artistically, emotionally, physically, and socially so that all students are life-long learners, complex thinkers, responsible global citizens and effective communicators.

There’s a saying that everything’s bigger in Texas, and when it comes to Humble ISD, this certainly applies. Nestled on the outskirts of Houston, Humble ISD prides itself on being one of the fastest-growing districts in the state with an eye toward excellence for every one of their nearly 50,000 students. But even in its school web design—Humble ISD’s dedication goes beyond its students to being a pillar of its broader community, too. 

(For more on this, learn how Humble ISD worked to bring high-quality recess to their entire community.)

What we love about this school website design:

Humble is dedicated to keeping the community up to date on all topics. They share ongoing district improvements that show off exactly where funding from their successful 2022 bond campaign is going so that the community can celebrate with them about district improvements that are happening or planned. Humble’s brilliant team—including Yvonne Harris, Yvonne Harris, Kelci Hebert, Lori Maugans, Sheila Collier, and Jamie Mount—accomplish all of this all while incorporating vibrant photography and easy-to-use navigation. 

Okeene Public School, Oklahoma

District Vision: Provide quality and creative instruction to develop a foundation of great work ethic and sound moral ethics, inspire innovative thinking, and to inspire lifelong learning.

Okeene Public Schools is a tiny rural district in Oklahoma. The town itself is small—with a population just over 1,000—and the district itself serves just over 300 students. But don’t let their small size fool you. Okeene is all about providing a world-class education and giving its students experiences you may associate with much larger districts—such as class trips to Washington, D.C. and a weekly “soup Sunday” hosted by their middle school gifted and talented club.

What we love about this school website design:

Okeene may be a small district, but it’s clear from their homepage that they have world-class talent. Okeene does an excellent job utilizing videography and photography to make their school website come alive. This includes an impressive drone shot of their football field and video tour through their classrooms. Okeene also does a phenomenal job of encouraging their staff to contribute to their Live Feed. If you scroll through their posts, you’ll notice updates posted at all school levels and the district, all successfully displaying what it means to be an Okeene Whippet.

Hood Canal School District, Washington

District Vision: Cultivating a safe, inclusive, supportive learning environment that engages the whole student in a community that promotes collaboration, communication, and academic achievement through critical thinking and problem-solving. Reaching our highest potential. Together.

Hood Canal School District is a “hidden gem” nestled in the Olympic Peninsula. A small community situated in the Hood Valley near the  Skokomish Indian Reservation, Hood Canal serves just over 300 students between grades K-8. Hood Canal places special pride in its relationships with its community and community partners. After recently making local news for their district’s testing performance, Superintendent Dr. Lance Gibbon explained what motivates his district: “We’re here to set our students up for success in high school and beyond. The skills they’re gaining—both academically and personally—are tools they’ll carry forward.”

What we love about this school website design:

Hood Canal takes showcasing their students and staff seriously, and is always ready to tell the stories of what’s happening in their district. District personnel keep the website as up to date as possible, pushing incredible stories from outdoor education initiatives, clubs and activities all while engaging with their community and beyond. Their school website design is a testament to their community and a visible showcase of their district’s unique story. This means empowering many different storytellers too—if you scroll through their News Feed, you’ll notice posts from everyone from the superintendent to their bus drivers, all proudly showcasing what it means to be a part of Hood Canal Schools.

Duval County Public Schools, Florida

District Vision: To provide educational excellence for every student, every day.

Florida’s Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) is one of the largest public school districts in the nation—and they are a district with momentum at every level. DCPS serves nearly 130,000 students and employs over 12,000 teachers and staff. The district prides itself on having one of the most diverse school leadership in the country and is proud to show how this has positively impacted their students and communities. 

What we love about this school website design:

DCPS’ school website is both a showcase of their ambitions and a visual evidence bank of what matters to them most: their students and staff. Their website is a masterclass in how to use your brand to recruit, with strong visual and verbal arguments for why being a part of DCPS is a great choice, whether you’re looking for a career or a good fit for your children’s education. If you scroll through DCPS’ homepage, you’ll notice an extreme focus on student experience, from student video testimonials to specialized hubs built around student life. DCPS likes to say, “We have that!” and their website is a stunning view into just what they mean.

Distinctive Schools, Illinois

District Vision: Distinctive Schools will lead a collaborative and innovative public education transformation that elevates access, achievement, and belonging for every student so they may thrive throughout their education, career and life.

Distinctive Schools is a nonprofit charter management office that maintains charter schools throughout the greater Chicago area, including its flagship Distinctive Schools, Art in Motion Schools, and nine campuses of Chicago International Charter Schools.

What we love about this school website design:

As a nontraditional school website, Distinctive has a unique challenge: How do you showcase different schools and brands, all while making a case for what it means to be a Distinctive School? Through video, bright colors, engaging photos, and great student/staff highlights, Distinctive tells its story, all while ensuring a strong user experience. Distinctive uses creative but intuitive navigation to guide users through their site—and through the many stories happening in their various schools. While combining multiple brands can be a challenge for any district, Distinctive successfully combines their schools’ brands to bring a message of color and vibrancy.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland

District Vision: We are a community of 21st century learners who inspire all stakeholders to reach his or her potential through higher level thinking, perseverance, independence, inquisitiveness, and overall health and wellness.

Nestled along the coast of Maryland, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) is a large district serving over 85,000 students in 126 schools. The fourth-largest district in Maryland—as well as the 39th largest district in the United States—AACPS covers a variety of communities from large, suburban areas to small coastal towns. The district is nationally recognized both for its academics as well as its dedication to student wellness. Each of AACPS’ high schools include a unique signature program—a focus that brings together local businesses, educators, and higher education opportunities that allow students to earn up to 20 college credits before graduation.

What we love about this school website design:

AACPS’ website is clean, functional, and true to their district’s spirit of diversity and challenge. As you scroll through their homepage, you’ll notice quick links that connect current and prospective families to almost anything they could need, from enrollment to events to the district’s strategic plan. Through all of this, AACPS puts student achievement front and center. You won’t leave their homepage without noticing their district’s various accolades, from billions of dollars in scholarships earned by graduating seniors to information about an upcoming student art exhibit. AACPS’ campuses cover a lot of ground, but so does their website. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find it with just a few clicks as you scroll through their carefully crafted homepage and navigation. 

Kent Public Schools, Washington

District Vision: We believe all students can learn, be successful, and graduate prepared for their futures. Through honoring our students’ strengths and experiences, they will be prepared with the skills, knowledge and mindsets they need to achieve in their life and career.

Kent Public Schools (KSD) covering the broad area just south of Seattle, is one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the state of Washington. The district is known for its attention to teacher quality and its dedication to student gains. Although KSD covers a large geographic area, its strong central identity helps make its brand one of the most recognizable in the region. Kent is a fast-growing school district, and the educators at the core of its work are dedicated to seeing students remain front and center.

What we love about this school website design:

We mentioned that students are the heart of KSD’s brand, and if you spend a single second on their district’s homepage, that’s a fact you can’t miss. The friendly school website design, complete with happy students greeting you, is both easy to navigate and visually distinctive, incorporating strong brand elements into each of its site’s features. We’d like to draw special attention to KSD’s mid-page and top-of-page navigation. Chances are, if you’re a prospective family or staff member, you’ll quickly find what you need, including access to KSD’s stunning careers page, student calendar, and enrollment information. 

Newcomerstown Exempted Village Schools, Ohio

District Vision: Creating a culture of success in academics, athletics, and personal growth

Located in rural Ohio about halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh, Newcomerstown Exempted Village School District (NEVSD) prides itself on being the beating heart of its small community. NEVSD is equally proud of its history as a classic American town and its future as a world-class school district.

What we love about this school website design:

NEVSD’s website is stunningly simple and yet beautiful. The district’s brand is apparent as soon as you land on their homepage, and even if you’ve never heard of Newcomerstown, you quickly become acquainted with what it means to be a NEVSD Trojan. Their school website is visually clean-cut, making use of excellent photography and videography while placing an emphasis on thoughtful updates from their staff. NEVSD’s website is on-brand and effective, from subtle pops of color to showcase their schools’ colors to easy-to-navigate menu options.

City of Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Apptegy loves to help school districts showcase their brands through innovative, easy-to-navigate school and district websites. But did you know that we support municipality websites, too? Take a look what we mean by exploring Gatlinburg, Tennessee below: