Brad, We are now in the Web Hosting business as well. I have currently 3 districts using our solution and a few more getting ready. We are using an Open Source solution called 'Joomla' joomla.org. It is a Content Management system that will run on any platform that supports Apache, PHP and MySQL. We host it here for $20/month, but we can assist you to install it at your district as well.
Take a look at the following sites for examples www.algona.k12.ia.us www.sioux-central.k12.ia.us www.titonka.k12.ia.us www.nwia-e2t2.k12.ia.us I am working on a demo site that has most of the components but not completely finished yet. http://207.28.111.100 For better or worse it does not use any traditional web editing software to maintain. The good part is that pages can be added through a wysiwyg application through the web site. There are different levels of security: Content Creator, Can create/edit their content Content Editor, - Can edit their content as well as others Publisher, - Can make content Live on the web site Administrator - manages user accounts Super Admin - Full Control of site. It is fairly simple to create a template that your web site will follow. I recommend choosing an existing template, then modify a few graphics and CCS entries to customize to your district. Joomla's features can also be extended with additional components. Currently there are over 1200 add-ons for Joomla. The sites above are using add-on components Event Calendar - A Multi-category calendar Lunch Menu - Specifically written to show school lunch menus Photo Gallery - Organizes photos User Home Pages - A component that allows a simple way for instructors to create and manage their pages Contact List - Displays staff contact information and provides web based email submission Local Weather Display RSS feeds If you are interested feel free to contact me and I can answer any questions. ----- Original Message ----- From: Brad Kruse To: info-tech@aea8.k12.ia.us Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:24 AM Subject: [info-tech] School Website Outsourcing Is anyone outsourcing their district website? I would like to hear the good and the bad if anyone has done this in the past and also the name of the business that is used. Currently, I have some independent study students that help me along with a few coaches and secretaries that do their part. We have a "publications" class here but they only work with the newsletter and yearbook. We are constantly relying on the website for more each week and it is really becoming a burden. I really would like to add more features but I don't know enough and "don't want to know enough" to do it properly. Also, there is always a worry about a student author publishing something that should not be published! Thanks. Manson Northwest Webster-Home of the Cougars! Brad Kruse ("`-''-/").___..--''"`-._ Tech. Coord. `6_ 6 ) `-. ( ).`-.__.`) 1601 15th St. (_Y_.)' ._ ) `._ `. ``-..-' Manson, IA 50563 _..`--'_..-_/ /--'_.' ,' 712-469-3919 (li),' ((!.-' Fax 712-469-3131
