Website redesign for a private or international school in Washington DC: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Washington DC, redesigning a private or international school website typically costs USD 18,000 to 70,000 with a local agency depending on scope, against $4,900 (Growth) or $8,900 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) on the Kolonell grid (2026 ballpark). For a school born from a merger that still runs two old websites, the real work is the migration map: every admissions, curriculum and open house page needs a home and a 301 redirect. Tell the school's story to families without inventing anything, and go live in summer, away from admissions season.

What signals tell you a redesign is due?

Diplomatic families, federal government families and those working for international organizations, spread across Northwest DC, Georgetown, Bethesda and Arlington, often compare several schools from abroad. A few signals are unmistakable: two sites that contradict each other on open house dates, a curriculum explained in jargon, staff pages with no faces or roles, an inquiry form that asks for the child's report card, policy PDFs that screen readers cannot read.

What budget for a redesign that merges two sites?

Local figures: 2026 ballpark from typical agency quotes. The Starter tier at $2,900 rarely fits a merger. The grid includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English copywriting and 3 months of support. Admissions portal, fee payment, school management system (SIS), parent app and calendar feeds stay as separate lines on quote: they are kept and linked. See the international offer.

How do you migrate two sites without losing families?

Then check Search Console for 6 weeks. Risks to watch:

• Duplicate content if one old site stays live: close it on launch day, redirects active.
• Admissions portal links still pointing to the old domain: list them and test them.
• Forms: the inquiry form collects the minimum (parent's name, contact, target entry year). No health, special educational needs, report cards, passports or custody details: those documents go through the secure portal, on quote.
• Student photos: only with documented parental consent and a removal-on-request procedure.
• Accreditations: AIMS, Middle States or others only if the school actually holds them, in the merged entity's name.
• Accessibility: ADA Title III claims are frequent; target WCAG 2.2 AA, captioned videos, cookie consent that works with admissions tags.

This is not legal advice: the final review of policy and child protection pages belongs to the school, since these are its own documents.

How do you tell the school's story to families without inventing anything?

Three kinds of pages carry the story. A day in the life for each division, from arrival to dismissal, with approved photos. A curriculum explained in plain words, American, IB or national, as the school actually offers it. Staff pages that present each person's role. No exam results, rankings, college destinations, enrollment numbers or student-teacher ratios are invented, and no enrollment gain is promised.

When is a local agency the better choice? If you want months of on-campus video production, in-person workshops with the board, or a deep SIS integration, a DC agency experienced in education can justify its price.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Claire, communications director of "Linden Hill International School", formed by the merger of two fictional schools in Northwest DC. The two old sites have 120 and 85 URLs; 60 receive traffic and are redirected first.

Kolonell Premium option, English and French: $8,900, plus an independent French-speaking reviewer at $900 and a local photographer at $2,000 (third-party costs, market assumptions), for $11,800. Re-linking the admissions portal is on quote. One of the two old hosting contracts, at $180/month (assumption), ends: $2,160 a year with the previous vendor. Go-live in late July, outside admissions and open houses.

FAQ

How long should 301 redirects stay in place?

At least a year, ideally indefinitely. Watch Search Console closely for the first 6 weeks.

Can we publish exam results?

Only those the school has actually achieved and verified, never extrapolated. The site invents none, and 1 review by the head of school is the rule.

When should we go live?

In summer, often between late June and early August, outside admissions, open houses and exams. Plan 3 to 4 weeks of production beforehand.

Is the admissions portal rebuilt?

No: it is kept and linked, on quote. The fixed-grid site at $4,900 or $8,900 does not rebuild it.

Do we need a site in three languages?

Only if your families ask for it. The Premium tier at $8,900 is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.

Let's scope your project. Send the URL lists of both sites: we prepare the migration map, the tier and a summer go-live date. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.