Parent portal is a two-way parent/transportation department communication tool. EZArrival is the smartphone APP version of the parent portal.
From the parent portal setting page, you can enable/disable the parent portal, customize checkbox settings, and compile registration email and parent consent agreement.
The general steps to get the parent portal ready:
- Enable the parent portal;
- Customize the checkboxes settings;
- Send registration links to parents (Parents must register to EZRouting to check their children's information);
- Review change requests from parents.
If you'd like to learn more details about the whole process, please check the webinar recording or transcript below.
Parent Portal Settings
To access settings: Go to your personal icon > Settings > Parent Portal.
You can:
- Enable/disable the portal.
- Select which school years/sessions parents can access.
- Choose to hide bus schedules for particular sessions.
- If no SIS data sync is enabled, parents can:
- Submit student info and address changes.
If SIS data sync is enabled:
- Parents get a warning to update information with the school.
- Edits are restricted to prevent sync conflicts.
Additional options include:
- Disabling new student requests
- Disabling address edits
- Hiding student contacts tab
- Limiting parents to one address view (your admin side can still hold multiple)
- Allowing driver contact info (name, email, phone)
Consent Agreement and Register Links
You can require parents to agree to your transportation policy via a digital agreement. You can also reset this agreement for all parents.
Register link setup:
- Specify link expiration window (e.g., 3 days)
- Include EZArrival download links (recommended)
- Send register links from the Students tab > Operations > Send Parent Register Links. Filter which students get emails and choose to only send to primary contacts.
Parent Registration Process
Email includes:
- Custom message from your department
- Registration link
- App download links
On web:
- Parents fill out form and click link in email to activate account.
On BusQuest:
- Open app, click Create Parent Account
- Select district
- Verify phone/email
- Complete profile
Admin View of Parent Accounts
Access from your personal icon > Parents.
Here you can:
- View accounts and their linked students
- See if an account is activated ("Need Activation" banner)
- See last login date
- Reset passwords (shield icon)
- Delete accounts (trash icon)
- Manually link/unlink students
Pending link requests can be reviewed under the Linked Child Requests tab.
Transportation Requests
Parents can:
- Submit AM/PM transportation needs
- Request transport to/from daycare, alternate address, etc.
- Indicate specific weekdays or select all (based on admin settings)
On your end:
- Requests appear in New & Change Requests
- You can approve/deny and leave a reason
- Parents get a push notification
- History of requests appears in the student record
Real-Time Notifications
Send from Students tab > Operations > Real-Time Notifications.
You can:
- Filter recipients
- Send custom or templated messages
- Deliver via text, email, or push notification
- Copy drivers or school contacts
- Preview messages before sending
BusQuest App Features
Main tabs:
- Students: View/edit student info, addresses, contacts, bus schedules, request transportation
- Tracker: Live bus location (if enabled)
- Notifications: History of received messages
- Settings: Manage login details, version, district info
Unique features:
- Real-time GPS (works best with EZRouting tablets)
- Push notifications (no SMS/email cost)
- Last seen timestamp for parent login activity
Wrap-Up
We recommend:
- Encouraging parents to use the BusQuest app
- Including app links in your registration emails
- Checking your Parent Portal settings before rollout
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