The verdict in three sentences
A Houston private or international school should redesign its website when families, often mobile and tied to the energy sector, can no longer find the curriculum, tuition and how to apply in two clicks. 2026 ballpark: USD 18,000 to 50,000 with a local agency, USD 2,900 to 8,900 on the Kolonell grid, in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The switch date matters as much as the budget: go live outside the admissions peak, never during tours and application deadlines.
Which signals justify a redesign?
| Signal | Who notices first | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum and tuition buried in PDFs | Families relocating from abroad | High |
| Admissions form asking for school records or health data | Head of school and data lead | High |
| Pages taking 6 to 12 s on mobile | Parents browsing between meetings | High |
| Calendar, news and lunch menus never updated | Current parents | Medium |
| No Spanish version though some families ask for it | Admissions team | Medium |
| Weak contrast, videos without captions | Families using a screen reader | High (ADA Title III) |
ADA Title III claims targeting websites are frequent in the US: targeting WCAG 2.2 AA during the redesign, including PDFs still published, avoids a costly retrofit later.
What budget should you plan in Houston?
2026 ranges based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages (River Oaks, the Galleria, Memorial), as a ballpark.
| Option | Redesign | Usual timeline | Often added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | USD 5,000 to 15,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Accessibility and migration rarely priced |
| Local web agency | USD 18,000 to 50,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Workshops, photo shoots, content |
| School-specialist platform | USD 25,000 to 70,000 | 4 to 6 months | Annual license of USD 3,000 to 12,000 (market assumption) |
| Kolonell Starter | USD 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | 5 pages, enquiry form |
| Kolonell Growth | USD 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Curriculum, admissions, news and careers pages |
| Kolonell Premium | USD 8,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | The multilingual tier (languages set in the quote), English and Spanish for instance |
Every tier of the international offer includes a project manager reachable in Central time, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. These stay on quote, linked or embedded: admissions portal, tuition payment, school management system, parent area and communication apps.
When to switch, and in what order?
For many private schools, tours, fairs and applications cluster between fall and late winter. Check your own calendar, then aim for a go-live in late spring or early summer.
| Week | Work | Check before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Curriculum copy, tuition, photos with written parental consent | Head of school and admissions |
| 1 | URL inventory, 301 redirect map, sitemap | Every admissions page listed |
| 2 | Curriculum, student life, admissions and careers templates | Curricula stated as the school holds them |
| 3 | Build, compressed images, captions, accessible PDFs | WCAG 2.2 AA audit |
| 4 | QA, marketing content review, switch | No undocumented claim |
| +6 weeks | Search Console, 404s, "admissions" queries | Monitoring during support |
Which risks to watch?
- Admissions pages losing rankings: each old URL gets a 301 redirect to its new page; Search Console is monitored for 6 weeks.
- Children's data: the public form is limited to the parent's name, contact, the child's age or target grade and the desired start date. No health data or report cards in an open form.
- Academic claims: IB, British or American curricula and accreditations mentioned only if the school actually holds them; no invented rankings, results or college admissions.
- Student photos: written parental consent, no full names under faces.
- Emails to families: newsletters comply with CAN-SPAM (physical address, unsubscribe link).
This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask the provider: who builds the 301 map, how PDFs are made accessible, who owns the domain, how the site links to the existing admissions portal, what support covers after the school year starts.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
When a Houston agency is still the better choice
A local agency makes sense if the school wants a full brand campaign, multi-day campus filming or a custom parent portal tied to its management system. For a clear, fast, well-migrated website, the fixed grid is often enough.
Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Bayou Crest International School, a private school near the Energy Corridor, welcomes many relocating families. Its site dates from 2019, with 48 pages and about ten PDFs.
- Kolonell Premium, English and Spanish set in the quote: USD 8,900.
- Independent Spanish-language reviewer (third-party cost): USD 600.
- Hosting for 33 months: USD 30 x 33 = USD 990 (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote).
- 3-year total: 8,900 + 600 + 990 = USD 10,490, against a typical local agency quote of USD 38,000 before license fees.
If Spanish waits for a phase 2, Growth at USD 4,900 with no reviewer brings the total to USD 5,890.
FAQ
How much does a private school website redesign cost in Houston?
2026 ballpark: USD 18,000 to 50,000 with a local agency. With Kolonell, USD 4,900 for Growth or USD 8,900 for multilingual Premium.
When should the new site go live?
Outside the admissions peak, often fall to late winter. Plan 3 to 4 weeks of production plus 2 to 4 weeks of content preparation.
Can the admissions portal be integrated?
It stays on quote. The site can link to it from every admissions page on day one, without rebuilding it.
Do we need a Spanish version?
Not mandatory. If 15 to 20% of your enquiries come from Spanish-speaking families, Premium with Spanish set in the quote becomes relevant.
Let's scope your project. A private school website redesign in Houston, USD 2,900 to 8,900, live in 3 to 4 weeks outside the admissions peak. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
