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CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 18, 2003 South Medford High School senior Sam Hingle is the school district�s webmaster and is helping revamp the district�s entire Web site to make it more informative and interactive. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Teens retool school district’s Web site By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Hoping to open the lines of communication between school officials and the public, the Medford School District will unveil a new, interactive Web site in October. And they’re tapping into some home-grown talent. "I think it’s a great move It’s news you can use," said Cynthia Wright, a newly elected board member who focused on the need to improve district communication when running for office. "I really appreciate (Superintendent Dick) Gregory getting right on this and not saying, ‘Oh, we’ll just do that later.’ " Advertisement Last spring, critics blasted the school board and administrators for acting as a rubber stamp and not involving the community in its decisions. Gregory said he took those complaints seriously and began addressing several key issues after he took over the superintendent job July 1. Overhauling the district’s Web site — which staff members readily admitted is outdated and stagnant — was the first of what Gregory vows are many changes. The district has already adopted a communication policy, and employees are currently researching new ways to keep the public informed of what’s happening at both individual schools and the district office. South Medford High School senior Sam Ingle, 17, was hired during the summer to revamp the Web site. Ingle is one of four local students who receive both wages and high school credit for working on the district’s computer network of 2,500 machines. "We’ve changed just about every page," said Ingle, who plans to take computer- programming courses in college next year. "There was a lot of work to do." Until Ingle finishes the job, community members won’t see any changes to the district’s old site at www.medford.k12.or.us on the Web. Even after the new site is up and running, Ingle’s work will continue as he updates the page with new information at least once a month. One of the project’s main goals is to provide parents with fresh, updated information on a regular basis, added Curriculum Director Phil Long. "We see this as a real key to communicating with the community," he said. "It benefits everybody." When complete, the Web site will feature a range of items, including individual school lunch menus and calendars, actions taken by the school board, administrative policies, job openings and news. The site also will be interactive. Visitors can contact teachers, administrators or school board members, take part in occasional surveys and leave feedback or general comments. The district’s new Web page will remain separate from another computer program that allows Hedrick Middle School parents to track the progress of their children online. Long said that program — which is only offered at Hedrick — has been a success and added that the district is working on ways to expand the service to all grade levels and schools in Medford. Administrators are considering other ideas to improve communication, including rotating meetings to different schools in the district, televising board meetings and providing more information to the media, and attending PTO or community meetings. Also in the planning stages is a program called "key communicators," which teams teachers, parents, residents and students with school officials. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times