Solutions > Schools
WordPress for Schools
No vendor lock-in. Districts that own their platform.
AlphaWeb helps school districts leave proprietary platforms and run ADA-minded, mobile friendly WordPress Multisite networks that staff can manage. We migrate content at scale, train your editors and stay on for support so your IT team is not left holding the bag.
Why districts move to WordPress
Own the platform
Open source WordPress means no proprietary lock-in. Your district controls the stack, the data and the roadmap.
One network, many schools
WordPress Multisite gives every school a site under central administration, with school-level editors scoped to what they need.
Accessible and mobile friendly
We build with ADA compliance and mobile use in mind so families and staff can reach what they need on any device.
The 50% cost reduction guarantee
AlphaWeb has published a guarantee for school district migrations: we can guarantee a 50% reduction in annual cost by migrating to WordPress. If we cannot, we will provide our services for half that price. Guaranteed.
Bring your current platform costs to a discovery call. We will map them against a WordPress Multisite plan and tell you straight whether the guarantee applies to your district.
What school projects include
- Migration off proprietary platforms such as Schoolwires into WordPress Multisite
- Automated scripts that preserve page titles, menu hierarchy and original URLs
- Centralized management with school-level editor roles
- ADA-minded, mobile friendly themes and content patterns
- Optional managed hosting with monitoring and support
- Training for district and school editors
Proof: Newark Public Schools
Newark Public Schools moved about 80 Schoolwires sites into one WordPress Multisite network. Staging materials cite 66 schools, 5,000+ employees and 35,000+ students served by the district. The migration preserved menus and URLs and put the district on managed WordPress hosting with dedicated CPUs and failover.
SchoolPresser and education focus
Brian Messenlehner co-founded SchoolPresser, focused on WordPress for public school districts, and has five kids, which is why education work matters to him. AlphaWeb brings that same mission focus to every district engagement: clear plans, no lock-in and support after launch.
Schools FAQs
Can you migrate us off Schoolwires?
Yes. Schoolwires migrations are a known specialty. We write custom scripts that rebuild menus, hierarchy and URLs on WordPress Multisite.
Will school staff still be able to edit their own sites?
Yes. Multisite lets you keep central control while giving each school editors scoped to their site.
Do you handle accessibility?
We build with ADA compliance and WCAG practices in mind, and we can align the plan to your district's accessibility requirements.
Is the 50% cost reduction guarantee still available?
It is published on alphaweb.com. Confirm current terms with us on a discovery call before you plan a budget around it.
Why teams choose AlphaWeb
Veteran owned WordPress specialists
Mission driven, not trend chasing
AlphaWeb is a U.S. veteran owned business. We plan, build, secure and support WordPress sites and mobile apps with the same discipline Brian learned as a Marine Corps programmer.
We wrote the book on WordPress apps
Brian Messenlehner co-authored O'Reilly's Building Web Apps with WordPress, has led WordPress teams since 2008, and went on to become owner of AppPresser and co-found SchoolPresser.
SchoolPresser
WordPress for Schools, proven in real districts
SchoolPresser is Brian's WordPress platform for K-12 schools and districts. It replaces proprietary, closed source school CMS vendors with open source WordPress your district owns, with no vendor lock-in.
- Section 508 (ADA) and WCAG 2.1 compliance on every site delivered, plus staff training to keep it that way
- District and school sites share one design through a parent and child theme, with content broadcast from one site to others
- Teacher pages and blogs, document management for thousands of files, multiple calendars or Google Calendar
- Active Directory and LDAP logins, nightly backups and immediate security updates
- Hosting and maintenance from $2,500 per year for districts under 2,000 students, up to custom plans for 25,000+
- Hosting and support for the former Blackbaud SchoolPress Blogs service since April 1, 2021
Example school sites
Belmar Elementary School
Elementary school site in Belmar, NJ.
Roselle Public Schools
District site for Roselle, NJ.
Southside ISD
Independent school district in San Antonio, TX.
Newark Public Schools
New Jersey's largest school district.
New Haven Unified School District
Unified district in California.
Berlin Township School District
District site with linked school sites for its middle and elementary schools.
Fremont Unified School District
Unified district in Fremont, CA.
Montclair Public Schools PTAC
Parent Teacher Association Council for Montclair, NJ schools.
LINK Charter Community School
Charter community school.