The Orange County Department of Education launched a redesigned website, OCDE.us, on September 4. The update aims to simplify access to information, services, and resources for educators, students, families, and community members across the county.
This redesign impacts Irvine residents through the department's support for local schools. The OCDE provides assistance to 28 school districts and more than 40 charter schools, a network that includes the Irvine Unified School District. Irvine families, students, and educators can utilize the updated website to navigate OCDE's broad range of programs.
Key improvements to the new OCDE.us include enhanced mobile functionality, ensuring the site performs effectively on various devices. The structure for navigating the department’s programs and supports has been clarified, and thousands of pages feature updated content. This redesign seeks to offer a consistent user experience whether accessed from desktop computers, tablets, or mobile devices.
Dr. Stefan Bean, the Orange County Superintendent, emphasized the website's role, stating, "Our website is one of the most important ways we connect with the public." He added that the site should reflect the department's mission and make it easy for people to find necessary information.
The Orange County Department of Education delivers direct instruction to some of the county’s most vulnerable students. It also offers comprehensive support services to school districts, ranging from professional learning and special education assistance to fiscal oversight, technology solutions, payroll management, and school safety initiatives. Given the breadth of these offerings, the website functions as a primary gateway to understanding the department's work.
Built on Finalsite’s website platform, the redesign also brings OCDE’s updated visual identity to life. This includes a refined logo, brand mark, and a consistent application of its three primary colors: Pacific Blue, California Gold, and Sunrise Orange.
Visitors to the site can now gain a clearer understanding of OCDE's organizational structure. A dedicated Divisions page outlines the department’s two-pillar model, which aligns most divisions under either educational excellence or operational excellence. Certain additional units report directly to the county superintendent’s office, providing a transparent view of leadership and responsibilities.
Shane Cline, Digital Media Manager, spearheaded the website migration for OCDE’s Communications and Media Services team. This effort was a collaborative project involving IT staff, department leaders, and content owners from across the organization. Cline noted that the undertaking went beyond merely moving existing content to a new platform; it presented an opportunity to re-evaluate how information is organized and presented. The goal was to create a site that felt intuitive, functioned well on any device, and offered a clear path to desired programs, services, and resources.
The launch on September 4 followed a months-long effort by various teams within OCDE. This extensive project involved the creation of over 2,000 new pages and the uploading of thousands of resources to the updated platform.
Work on the website is ongoing. Teams will continue to refine content and update links. Future plans include exploring additional tools, such as the later addition of an AI chatbot to further assist users.
