In order to implement a more modern, easy-to-navigate location to serve students, families and staff, officials from the Petal School District recently announced a new and improved website that serves each of its five campuses – Petal Primary, Petal Elementary, Petal Upper Elementary, Petal Middle and Petal High schools.
The site, which launched January 18 at www.petalschools.com – the same address as the district’s former site – features a new palette that is designed to more easily find information on matters such as activities, athletics schedules, school cafeteria menus, news and events.
“It was time for a refresh (of the website), and we wanted to offer a consistent, easy-to-navigate site that is accessible to all, and up to date with the latest trends,” said Jennifer Rigney, public information officer for the Petal School District. “The new site is also more efficient than the old one.
“The new technology makes it easier for us to update and maintain it.”
New features on the website include:
- “Discover Petal School District” section, which provides a district profile (enrollment numbers, grades served, etc.), information on the Petal School District Board of Trustees and its meetings, information for district superintendent Matt Dillon and his executive core team, school safety information and contact information for the district’s central office staff;
- A “By the Numbers Points of Pride” section with statistics showing graduation rates and other numbers;
- Quick and easy-to-access links to ActiveParent, cafeteria menus, bus information, district and school calendars
- Quick links to the district’s employment section for job openings, the alumni association and the Petal Education Foundation;
- A prominent section for news and events, as well as the district’s social media feeds;
- A “Page Pop” feature to post information officials wish to quickly highlight, such as school closing and registration deadlines for various events such as Petal+, job fairs, substitute training and other matters;
- A new school counselors section on the website for Petal High School, at which students and families can order transcripts, view scholarship opportunities or graduation requirements and a link to make an appointment with the school’s counselor; and
- Accessibility with the Americans With Disabilities Act, including such measures as making the screen easy to read for visitors.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new district and school websites,” Rigney said. “We encourage our families to take a tour of the entire site, explore all the new features and reach out with any questions.
“We are committed to continually improving our communications efforts, and we are so excited to share our new online presence.”
Rigney said even though the new site has only been operational for a few days, visitors have already taken well to the new experience.
“Feedback has been very positive,” she said. “Specifically, the quick links to cafeteria menus, academic calendars and athletics/activities schedules have gone over very well.
“The school counselor page on the Petal High School site has also received a lot of positive feedback.”
