In late May, the county redesigned its site to improve navigation and enhance graphics.

A separate Schools page enables users to check out the Web site of any school plus browse general information, including the nutrition program and special education.

Last month, the city system changed its site to feature a vertical scroll and a navigational bar that spans the page.

The systems are trying to make their sites more user-friendly while also supplying them with new information, school officials said.

"The goal ... is to have a place where parents, students and especially people new to our community can go to get key information about our school system," said Gordon Higgins, the Hall County schools' spokesman.

After breaking ground in July for two new elementary schools, the city put photographs, including an aerial shot, on its Web site. And the city has just added to a link to media reports about goings-on in the system.

Also, as a fun feature, the system features a clock that gives a countdown to the first day of school down to the seconds.

"One of the things we have to keep in mind about Web pages is taking account of all the people who look at it," said Keith Palmer, the city's computer systems analyst. "We want to bring people back to the site. It's the way we convey information, particularly to our parents."

Both systems plan to offer more features in the future.

Gainesville parents will be able to check out their child's grades and attendance record using a personal identification number.

Hall County is working through the Georgia School Board Association to put its policy manual online.

"This process will probably take a year because of the vastness of the manual," Higgins said.