diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_site.yml b/.github/workflows/build_site.yml
index efd8c79b..46c68138 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_site.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_site.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install -r .github/python/requirements.txt
       - name: Building notes
         run: make ready
+      - name: setup directories
+        run: |
+          mkdir contents
+          mkdir -p _site/jupyter-lite # created here so the permissions of the directory don't change
       - name: Setup Pages
         uses: actions/configure-pages@v5
       - name: Build website
@@ -50,10 +54,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build the JupyterLite site
         run: |
           find . -type d -name .pytest_cache -o -name .ruff_cache -o -name .doctrees | xargs rm -rf
-          mkdir contents
-          sudo mkdir _site/jupyter-lite # sudo because jekyll-build-pages creates the directory as a different user
           find ch*/ -type f -name '*.ipynb' ! -name '*.nbconvert.ipynb' -exec rsync -R {} contents/ \;
-          sudo jupyter lite build --contents contents --output-dir _site/jupyter-lite
+          jupyter lite build --contents contents --output-dir _site/jupyter-lite
       - name: Upload artifact
         uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v3