Your School Website Isn’t a Filing Cabinet

After talking with hundreds of school leaders, communications pros, and IT directors, I’ve noticed a pattern: School websites are overflowing.

Outdated links. Clunky navigation. Pages buried three clicks deep in a maze of menus. Somewhere along the line, we stopped treating our websites like digital front offices and started treating them like storage sheds.

And I get it. Everyone wants their department’s info “somewhere on the site.” You’ve got board policies, lunch menus, testing calendars, teacher pages, sports schedules, sign-up forms, and archives that date back to dial-up.

But here’s the thing: parents aren’t digging for data. They’re looking for answers. Fast.

Your Homepage Isn’t a Filing System. It’s a Welcome Experience.

When I audit a school website, the homepage is usually doing way too much. Or worse, doing nothing at all.

So let’s break it down.

✅ What should live on the homepage?

Think of your homepage like your school’s front desk:

• Top announcements and events

• Quick links for families (calendars, menus, bus routes)

• Contact info that’s impossible to miss

• School highlights that make people smile

• A search bar that actually works

❌ What shouldn’t be there?

• Every document ever created

• Menus with 25+ items

• Unused teacher pages from three principals ago

• The “COVID-19 Protocol Update – April 2021 (Final Final).pdf”

Design for the People Using It, Not the People Uploading It

One of the most common things I hear from parents:
“I can never find what I’m looking for.”

Meanwhile, I hear staff say,
“Well, it’s technically on the website…”

See the disconnect?

If your navigation was built for the central office instead of your families, you’re going to lose people.
And when they can’t find basic info, trust erodes quickly.

The 5 Questions I Ask Every School Website Team

1. Can a parent find the school calendar in under 10 seconds?

2. Are your top five links visible without scrolling?

3. Do you have separate spaces for families, students, and staff?

4. Is your site mobile-friendly and ADA-compliant?

5. Can your principal update a page without calling IT?

If you answered no to any of those, you’re not alone. But it’s time to clean house.

Practical Fixes I’ve Seen Work (Over and Over Again)

🗂️ Create a Clean Archive
Build a “Document Center” that’s easy to search, so you don’t have to put every board policy on the homepage.

🧭 Simplify Navigation
Group things by audience, not departments. A parent shouldn’t need to guess whether bus info is under “Operations” or “Student Life.”

📱 Design Mobile-First
If it doesn’t work on a phone, it doesn’t work. Most families aren’t browsing from a desktop. They’re in the pickup line.

🔁 Update With Purpose
Have a content audit schedule. If it’s not current, it’s clutter. Archive it.

It’s Time to Rethink the Purpose of Your School Website

Your site is more than a compliance tool.
It’s your brand, your frontline communication channel, and your first impression.

It should make families feel confident, informed, and connected. Not frustrated.

I’ve seen schools transform their sites with just a few thoughtful changes. When you stop thinking of your website as a filing cabinet and start thinking of it as a front porch, everything gets better.

And trust me. Your families will notice.

Want help making your school website actually work for people?
Let’s clean it up, simplify the experience, and build something that reflects the heartbeat of your school.