New BPS Web site up and running

 

By Angela Fichera

C & G Staff Writer

     BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham Public Schools District has created a new Web site that parents, staff and community members can visit to find out more about the district.

     According to Carol Marsh, community information specialist for the district, the Web site was up and running as of July 29.

     “We wanted to have a little more of a professional look,” said Marsh. “The original Web site was put up by an old Seaholm student in the late 1990s,” she said.

     The district began working on the Web site last January following a bid process that resulted in the project being awarded to the technology, consulting and solutions division of Plante & Moran late last fall.

     “We based our decision on several categories of analysis,” said Lisa Martinico, executive director of Technology Services for the BPS district. “The type of design work that they presented was great,” she added. She declined to disclose the price, and a number could not be obtained by press time.

      Although Marsh said there are still some rough patches within the site that need to be smoothed out, she feels that once teachers and administrators become familiar with it, it will be a real success.

     “Eventually, when you click on the ‘schools’ icon on the Web site, it will take you to each individual school just as before, but now, our teachers will each be able to manage their own sites that they can update daily,” said Marsh. “They will be able to include homework assignments, items students will need to bring for field trips and things like that,” she said.

     The district made sure that it would be easy for teachers to create their own Web site links.

     “Not everyone knows how to go about making a Web site, so we created a template to make it a no-brainer,” said Martinico.

     Martinico said there will also be a link to each building page for parents to subscribe to various e-mail lists.

     “For example, parents could sign up to receive principal newsletters via e-mail,” said Martinico.

     The Web site still includes a calendar, alumni and school closing information and links to various departments and schools throughout the district.

     View the new Web site at www.birmingham.k12.mi.us.

     You can reach Angela Fichera at afichera@candgnews.com