The Maplenol Barn deserves more attention

the barn is storage for desks and droppings, but the structure is sound

That is, more attention than the board is giving it online.

Exhibit D is a short post. Yesterday’s post was long. Let’s look at the School Board’s traditional online presence today.

Exhibit D. The school district has a website. It contains a lot of information. That’s what websites do, provide info. Like its peer government websites, navigation is not the clearest, but pretty good. But incomplete. I wish it had a CPI/home schooling webpage (or three).

The information on the website is generally genuine, accessible in an instant, and suited to today’s citizens. But unless you seek specific information, there is no compelling content to make you stay and read. There is no blog component where people can share or comment. No interaction available.

Also, the Construction page is not current. No plans are displayed. Updates are infrequent and use a lot of past tense. Future and present tense would be great, so you can look forward and anticipate the “next thing.” People driving by can see only so much construction from the car. And most people are fascinated with any construction process, using it as a frequent topic of conversation. Wouldn’t the district love to have everyone talk about its buildings favorably? That’s where frequency comes in. Compelling content is enhanced by frequency. The district would do well to involve its constituency with a greater quantity of compelling photos and video more frequently. Retired, older internet users are a large group of Facebook users. They have time to view large quantities of content. They also tend to have more available money than families with kids in school. Seeking money for fixing up a barn? I know who and where I would ask.

Construction photos would be a Facebook “like” situation. For greater effectiveness, the board could coordinate the website and Facebook page. People, involved with schools or not, could become very engaged if done properly.