Parent Portal - Bus Locator
What is the Parent Portal app? How do I sign up to use it?
The Parent Portal mobile app by Education Logistics, Inc. (Edulog) allows school districts to share planned and real time school transportation information with parents, caregivers and students. The app provides the latest information on the planned time and location of the student’s bus stop. It can show the position of the school bus and send alerts to any mobile device as the bus nears the bus stop.
The Edulog parent portal bus tracking app gives parents and caregivers:
Accessibility. Parents can see essential student transportation details directly from any mobile device.
Security. Parents access their children’s transportation information with a unique, safe and secure login.
Accuracy. Parents can be confident in the information they receive, because it’s coming from real-time tracking information sent from the GPS system onboard each bus.
Alerts. Parents can set up notifications by creating custom Alert Zones when a bus is approaching the assigned bus stop.
Messaging. Parents can receive messages about traffic delays, mechanical issues or bus substitutions.
SIGNING UP IS EASY!
Watch this Parent Portal video for installation and usage instructions.
Download the Edulog Parent Portal from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Search for “Edulog Parent Portal” and choose the app with the white bus on the teal background. Or use the QR codes below to download the app directly
NOTE: To use the QR code, turn on your devices' camera, hold it up to either the Apple Store (left image) or Goggle Store (right image), then follow the url link displayed on your device. The app should have the same "bus" image as pictured above. Edulog’s other parent app, Parent Portal Lite, has a teal bus on a white background. Please take care to download only the app that matches the bus image above.
NOTE: There are Spanish and Burmese versions on the Settings tab. Make sure to select SAVE after selecting the language of your choice. For Burmese to work correctly, the ZAWGYI-ONE font must be installed on the mobile device.
The link below offers a step by step infographic of the above instructions.
Parent Portal Instructions English.pdf
Parent Portal Instructions Spanish.pdf
REGISTERING TO USE THE APP
After downloading and opening the app, complete these 5 steps:
Enter your email
Enter and confirm your new password
Add your first & last name
Click on Sign Up. You will receive a confirming email
Follow the link in the email, and an account activation message will appear.
ADDING STUDENTS TO TRACK IN THE APP
In order to register your student, you must have 5 pieces of information to ensure security.
TIP: Gather this information from the Skyward Parent Access module prior to adding a student
Sign into the app enter your email, new password, click login
Go to the Student List tab by selecting the “+” icon or the ADD STUDENT button
Enter the Student’s First Name (spelled exactly the same as it is in your child's student record)
Enter the Student’s Last Name (spelled exactly the same as it is in your child's student record)
Enter the School to which the student is assigned. (there are two ways to select your student’s school)
a. One is to search based on the school name. As you type part of the school name, you will see schools that match that name, in full or in part. For instance, for "New Haven Primary", you can begin typing “New” or “Haven” and a list of matching schools will appear.
b. Alternatively, you can click on the small map icon to the right of the school field and then locate the school on the map, selecting the icon displayed at the school location.For ANY GRADE LEVEL at HERITAGE use the "Heritage Code = 081, 13608 Monroeville Rd."
For ANY GRADE LEVEL at WOODLAN use the "Woodlan Code = 285, 17215 Woodburn Rd."
Enter the Student ID Number, assigned by the school district.
Enter the Student’s data of birth (for Androids, select the year by tapping on the year in upper left corner)
Tap "DONE" in upper left. You should receive an "approved" response. If the response is "pending" or "rejected" verify that all 5 security fields match. You can see the data that you entered by selecting this student in the app and examining the data to check for typographical errors. If you need verification of student information or continue to have questions, email us at bustracking@eacs.k12.in.us for support. Please include a phone number for a return call.
To delete a student, from the STUDENTS tab, just swipe left for that student. This is also the process you use to delete a PENDING or REJECTED registration.
USING THE APP
Q: What does the HOME tab tell me?
A: The HOME tab shows the basic trip information for each student that you have added on your app. Typically this will be a morning and afternoon trip. For each trip the app displays the student’s name, whether notifications are activated for the trip, the scheduled pickup and drop-off times and the bus number. Trips are displayed in the order of the next pick-up or drop-off time.
Q: What is the envelope icon on the top right of the Home screen?
A: Your school district transportation department may send messages to parents and others that are using the app. Messages may be sent to specific individuals or those with students assigned to a specific bus route. App users receive these messages as a notification on their phone. Selecting the envelope icon allows you to see previously received messages.
Q: What do the pickup and drop off times mean? What about the distance?
A: On the HOME tab or the Transportation Schedule screen, the locations and times for pickup and drop-off are those planned by the school district. On the MY BUS tab, there is a distance which indicates how far, as the crow flies, the bus currently is from the planned bus stop.
Q: There is a date and time displayed by the bus icon. What does that mean?
A: On the MY BUS tab, the last reported time for the school bus is displayed beside the bus icon. NOTE: App users should understand that if the bus location has not been reported for recently, there could be problems with the GPS signal or other communications issues. In such a case, students should report to their bus stop at the usual time, 5 minutes before the expected time of the bus. This time display is important information to help parents correctly interpret the parent portal app bus information.
Q: Why can’t I see the location of our school bus?
A: The school district has the option of when to allow the bus icon to be visible on the map. Many districts opt to show the bus icon only when buses are running routes.
PARENT PORTAL FAQ'S:
Q. I still need some help, who do I contact?
A. For support, email us at bustracking@eacs.k12.in.us. Please include a description of the problem and contact phone number. A staff member from the Transportation Department will either email or call you. The support staff is on duty from 10:00 AM to 1:00 pm only
Q: What can this app do? A: The Parent Portal app can: - Tell you via push notification when your child’s bus is within a certain distance from their stop. - Show you where the bus is on its route. - Give you current pick up and drop off times and locations for your child’s stop. The Parent Portal app cannot: - Tell you if your child is on the bus or not. - Tell you what stop your child got off the bus at.
Q: Can other app users see my student’s Information?
A: NO. Only persons with information in the required security fields are able to access a student’s transportation information in the app.
Q: Where does the information about my bus stop come from?
A: The planned time and location of your student’s bus stop comes from the Edulog route management system used by your school transportation provider.
Q: Will the parent portal work if there is a substitute bus?
A: Yes, but there are exceptions. When there is a substitute bus that will run the entire route, that will be programmed in the gps system so the parent portal will function properly regardless of what bus is actually transporting students on any given day. The system cannot notify you if the Transportation Department must send multiple buses to cover portions of a route within the day.
Q: My student transfers to another bus. How will the app handle that?
A: The school that you enter to access a student’s data is the school that he or she attends. It may be that they transfer to a second bus before arriving at the school. However, morning alerts are sent as the bus arrives at the “home” school bus stop. That is, you will view the location of the bus that picks up the student at the bus stop of origin, presumably near the home. Similarly, in the afternoon you will see the bus as it approaches the “home” bus stop and receive notifications as the bus approaches that stop.
Q: We just moved (into or within the district). When can I start using the app?
A: The activation time is typically 2 days after you can access your student information in the Skyward parent module. You can download the app anytime.
Q: Will I receive notifications if I am in a poor or no cellular service area?
A: No. Parents must have a good cellular signal to receive notifications.
Q: I received a message from school officials through the parent portal. Can I respond to the message?
A: No. The messaging feature is only designed for parents to receive messages, not send them.
Q: Will the parent portal alert parents of a school lock down?
A: No. The parent portal is only used for bus related activity.
Q: Will the parent portal replace phone calls when the bus is running late?
A: No. Parents will continue to receive late calls when deemed necessary and is practical.
Q: I have downloaded the app successfully, but my child has no scheduled transportation times. Why?
A: Your child must be assigned to a bus in order to see scheduled transportation details. If your child is riding the bus without a proper bus assignment, you will not be able to see any details in parent portal app. Make certain your child has a bus assignment in their school record. This can be found within your child’s student record.
Q: Why does my child have 1 go to school and 2 to home stops?
A. This means there are 2 student drop off points. The first is a shuttle bus from one school to another, the second being home. Generally this only applies to to students that attend programs in multiple buildings.
Q. If I set my notification times for student pick up and drop off to be within 15 minutes of the scheduled time and the bus is running later than that, will I still receive a notification?
A. Possibly. For you to get a notification, the bus must enter the radius and be within the time window you set. It is up to you to determine what distance and time values work best for your bus stop.
Q. I am getting multiple notifications that my bus is coming. Why?
Every time your bus drives through your defined radius within the time slot you set in the app, it will send you a notification. The bus may be on the way to or from another part of its’ route and crosses into your radius / time slot. If bus goes through your area one time, set a wide time frames and/or radius. If bus goes through your area several times narrow the time frame and/or radius. It is up to you to determine what distance and time values work best for your bus stop. Keep in mind early dismissals and 2 hour delays.
Q. The school is on a 2 hour weather delay. Can I change my notifications times for when my bus is coming.
A: Yes, this is a very good use of the notification features on the app. You can change the notifications times or distances within the app at any time. All changes take effect immediately.
Q. I was notified that the bus entered my zone, but the app says my child was not picked up.
A. If the bus door is not opened at stop the app will not show your student as picked up. This could mean that the driver saw no one at the bus stop. The drivers are not required to open the door if the do not see any students waiting at the bus stop. It could also be a door sensor failure.