Point-Counterpoint: Is the New School Website Really Necessary?

Yes – Jill Cooper:

The school website is a place where parents, students, and staff go to look for important information. Recently, the page has undergone a major transformation that has sparked controversy among the district. Although change can be hard to navigate, it is ultimately beneficial to the Unionville community.

Unionville’s old school website was created nearly a decade ago, and certain features had grown to be outdated and inaccessible for the student body. Previously, there were issues with the speed of the website as well as concerns for accessing it on mobile devices. With the help and input of community members, the website has been designed for convenience. Aside from mobile compatibility, the updated school website provides a fresh new layout that showcases everything from upcoming events to important news stories. The website greets you with photos featuring Unionville staff and students. With just a click or scroll, all the information Unionville has to offer is available. The new page is bright and cohesive, conveying Unionville’s strive for positivity and professionalism.

Ultimately, it was time for Unionville to make a change to the school website. Any adjustment that comes with a new layout will prove to be worth it. The new school website was an important improvement that will aid community members throughout the new school year here at Unionville.

No – Katie Sherman:

The new year is upon us, and with this new year came a new Unionville High School website. However, multiple aspects of this new website have caused disappointment among the student body and their families. Despite seemingly slightly outdated aesthetically, the old website functioned rather well and didn’t need any urgent alterations, yet the new modifications have caused a stir between the student body.

First since the new system represents a significant change, learning how to navigate the website takes time and requires troubleshooting before users can find the information they need. Particularly, one of the main sources of frustration comes from locating the lunch menu of the day, a process which was much simple with the old website. As arguably one of the more important features of the website, the lunch menu should be more straightforward to find.

Second, although all of the links were thoughtfully placed in their respective categories, certain ones may be better suited in another section. For example, lunch and learn resides in the “About” category, yet may fit in closer in the “For Students” tab instead.

Overall, the website does look impressive with its new revamps, but the question about whether this change was necessary or not remains unanswered. Various links and pieces of information on the website seem to be misplaced and there are several instances where it feels as if vital details are lacking.