This is the second of a two-part series examining the Web sites of local school districts and cities. According to a national study released earlier this month, people no longer care so much about what they might see on Internet sites; they want to know what they can do with them. Last week, we tried to answer that question through a look at city Web sites, and this week we are focusing on area school districts.

www.pisd.edu

The Plano school district offers some innovative and exciting opportunities that utilize technology, but its Web site is almost so vast that it may be confusing to the casual user.

The site's main strength is what it offers for students, teachers and parents through the Instructional Resources link on the main page. That will take visitors to all sorts of resources, including homework help for students, career development links for teachers, and guidelines for parents. It is clear that computers and technology play a critical role in daily education in Plano schools. In fact, the eSchool section illustrates how the district is ahead of the curve in offering online coursework for high school classes.

For interested residents, the best part of the site is the eNews feature that allows users to sign up for e-mail news and updates. This is probably the best way to receive such information because the site does not put news and issues in a prominent place. The site also includes current and archived school board agendas and minutes, and inside those pages, users can link to related documents. This is a great feature because concerned residents are often given an online agenda that is bare bones and of little help in really understanding what will be discussed at a public meeting.

The site also offers a quick link to elected officials, though the profiles provided read more like campaign fliers.

There is room for greater interaction on the District Services pages. Those sections are really just online phone books, but they could be used to solicit feedback or handle more routine matters. Considering that the site was designed in 1998, it is a testament to Plano's leadership in technology. A few simple changes will keep the Plano site ahead of the pack.

www.allenisd.org

The Allen school district site offers a warm welcome and a simple premise. Users have a few choices from the main page.

They can explore the Hot Topics or dive into individual school sites. The Hot Topics list is a great idea, but in practice, the district needs to make sure the topics included are actually hot. On a recent visit, the first Hot Topic on the list was more than a month old. To find the real hot topics, users have to find their way to news releases.

The site includes a plain-spoken approach to helping residents keep up with the school board. Rather than just listing the minutes of meetings, the site offers recaps using words actual human beings use.

www.mckinneyisd.net

The McKinney school district site keeps it simple. It has a scrolling headline for the top story the district wants to get out, which recently included a quick link to all things boundary related. The pictures used for the homepage of students in the middle of lessons gives the site a nice, personal touch.

The site also succeeds as a clearinghouse for information. Visitors can sign up for E-mail Extras, and another section walks students through the process of applying for education foundation scholarships. The foundation page, in fact, offers the same opportunity for teachers seeking grants.

The site also includes a great interactive form that asks users to share stories about what's going on in the schools. It's a great system of helping promote special events at all the campuses.

There is also a useful search engine for staff e-mail addresses and a quick form for parents to offer feedback of any kind on the main page.

www.friscoisd.org

Unlike other sites for area districts, the Frisco school district uses its main page to share headlines on recent events. Using the main page for this purpose gives users a reason to check back on a regular basis, and it wastes no time serving the site's basic function: to inform.

It's a great presentation for general news, but there are also links for news specific to the school board, individual campuses or athletics.

Aside from the news, news and more news on the site, there are a few things users can do online. For example, job-seekers can fill out an online application. In fact, the site offers a one-stop information resource for teachers looking to relocate to Frisco, and it stresses the fact that the fast-growing district is always accepting applications.

Overall, the site is easy to navigate and presents a sophisticated image unparalleled among school district sites in Collin County.