Pricing

Initial cost to build a Newschoolyard website

Schoolyard sites typically cost between $14,000 and $18,000 in one-time build fees. This cost includes the design of a completely new site running the current version of our system with content migrated from the school's previous site as needed. There are a number of variables that push the final cost of initial site build toward either end of this range. These include the scope of content migration, the time required to reach approval on design and site architecture, the formatting of data, and other potential factors. Regardless of where the one-time build fee ends up, every Schoolyard site includes our entire open source system built in Drupal.

Our optional monthly Service Plan

Our entire system is included in every site we build, and insofar as ours is an open source system, it is free. There are no recurring licensing fees as typically required for the use of comparable systems built on a proprietary platform. Most schools, however, do sign up for our optional monthly service plan, which carries no contract term.

The cost of Schoolyard's optional monthly service is $399. Included in the plan are the following benefits:

new modules: Drupal currently includes over 11,000 contributed modules, and this number is growing. As web-based communications are constantly evolving (an example being the meteoric rise of social media), the Drupal community responds. At Schoolyard we consider the evolving needs of schools in growing our system. Modules currently under consideration for NSY phase 2, scheduled for early 2011, include an auction module, mobile device degrader, and image editor. New modules are included in the system of every service plan client at no additional charge--we do not "up-sell" new features.

upgrades to existing modules: Our system currently includes close to 50 modules. Like any CMS, Drupal is in a constant state of development. Typically three or four of these modules are upgraded every month, and as we are alerted of these upgrades, we implement them across our system for service plan clients.

security patch installs: Similar to module upgrades, security patches are created by Drupal developers. As Schoolyard is alerted of the availability of a new patch, we download and install the patch across our system for service plan clients.

hosting: Newschoolyard sites are hosted at MediaTemple, a recognized leader in hosting solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Our monthly service plan includes all server hosting and maintenance services with a server capacity of 4 GB. For schools requiring more server space we offer a dedicated server plan, described below.

one hour of support: Schoolyard's optional service plan includes one hour of one-to-one support each month. When you need help with any CMS-related task, from creating an address list for an e-newsletter to uploading inventory into a school store, just call your Schoolyard service representative. (monthly support hours hours do not accrue)

Additional services

Campus visit One of the ways in which we reduce cost is to keep travel at a minimum. During the design phase of a project, should you request a visit to campus, our daily rate plus economy travel expenses is well below the industry standard: $895/day plus reasonable expenses. 

Technical support One hour included in monthly service fee (non-accruing.) Additional support available at rates of $150/hr in blocks of 5 hours; $185/hr for single-hour increments. 

Existing Drupal site migration Is your school currently running its own Drupal system? Migrate to Schoolyard and gain the benefit of hosting, support, and maintenance. Your monthly fee includes routine upgrades and security patches to the system as newschoolyard actively monitors the Drupal community for modifications to the core and to Drupal modules. Price: variable migration fee @ $185/hr; $399/mo.

Schoolyard Custom Services For schools seeking custom module development, database integration solutions, or comprehensive project management consultation services, we will provide individual estimates on a case by case basis at a rate of $185/hr.

Dedicated 20GB server for schools requiring more than 4GB of server space for the support of substantial media files, we can provide dedicated virtual server space of up to 20GB for an additional monthly fee of $40.