• Terminology

  • BusQuest = the parent-facing mobile app version of the portal

  • Parent Portal = the web-based two-way communication platform

  If you see the BusQuest icon in the presentation, it means you're looking at a screenshot from the app.

  Parent Portal Settings Overview

  Accessible from: Personal Icon → Settings → Parent Portal

  You can:

  • Disable the portal entirely (not recommended)

  • Select which school years/sessions parents can view (e.g., current + summer)

  • Choose to hide bus schedules for selected sessions (e.g., hide summer while it's under development)

  Permission Settings and Parent Experience

  1. Allowing Change Requests (No SIS Sync)

  • Parents can view and edit student/address info in both web and app

  2. Allowing Change Requests (With SIS Sync)

  • Parents can change addresses but see a warning to also notify the school

  • They cannot edit student info

  3. Disabling Change Requests

  • Parents see a message stating changes are disabled

  • If SIS Sync is also on, they get two warning layers

  4. Disabling New Student Requests

  • Parents trying to register a new student will be prompted to register with the school first

  5. Disabling Address Editing

  • Parents will be told to contact the school if address info is incorrect

  6. Hiding Student Contact Tab

  • Contact info is simply not shown to the parent

  7. Limiting to One Address

  • Only the primary address is visible/editable

  • You (the district) can still manage multiple addresses internally

  8. Showing Driver Contact Info

  • Parents can see:

    • Driver name (minimum)

    • Optional: phone number and/or email

  Consent Agreement and Registration Settings

  • Add a custom consent agreement for parents to accept

  • Use the “Reset” button to require everyone to re-consent

  • Set link expiration time (default: 3 days)

  • Include BusQuest app download links in registration emails (strongly recommended)

  Sending Registration Links

  From the Students tab > Operations > Send Parent Register Links:

  • Filter by grade/school or send to all

  • Option to send only to unlinked students’ primary contacts

  • Click the green envelope to send links

  Parent Registration Flow

  1. Email arrives from info@easyrouting.com

     • Contains registration link + app download buttons

     • Encourage use of the BusQuest app on mobile

  2. Web Registration Page

     • Enter email or phone number, relationship to student, and complete a CAPTCHA

  3. BusQuest App Registration

     • Select school district

     • Enter contact info

     • A verification code is sent to confirm ownership of that contact

  4. Activation Email

     • Parents must click to activate their account

     • You can also manually activate accounts from your end

  Managing Parent Accounts

  Go to Personal Icon > Parents

  You can:

  • See if a parent needs activation

  • See last login time

  • Reset password (shield icon)

  • Delete account (trash icon)

  Linking Parents and Students

  • If the parent contact info matches the SIS, the student is automatically linked

  • Manual requests require parent to enter student name and DOB

  • You can manually link/unlink students from the parent profile

  • Use filters or Student Contact List Report to see linked/unlinked status

  Submitting and Reviewing Transportation Requests

  Parent View:

  • Can request or decline transportation

  • Can specify:

    • Home or alternate location (e.g., daycare)

    • AM/PM or both

    • Days of the week (if allowed)

  Admin View:

  • Requests appear in New & Change Requests

    • From SIS = “Requested by system”

    • From Parent = Parent’s name listed

  • Accept or decline requests

  • Add optional denial reason (visible to parents)

  • Review full Change Request History in the student record

  Real-Time Notifications

  From Students > Operations > Real-Time Notifications:

  • Use filters to choose recipients

  • Customize message or use templates (e.g., “All Bus Schedules”)

  • Send via:

    • SMS

    • Email

    • Push notification (via BusQuest)

  • Send to:

    • Primary contact

    • All contacts

    • Driver

    • School contact

    • Additional email addresses

  BusQuest App Features (Live Demo by Kelly)

  Tabs:

  1. Students

     • View general info

     • View/edit addresses (if allowed)

     • View bus schedules (calendar or list)

     • View attendance (if QR scanning used)

     • Submit transportation requests

     • View request history

  2. Bus Tracker

     • Shows real-time location (if tablets or 3rd-party GPS is enabled)

  3. Notifications

     • All message history is archived

  4. Settings

     • Edit profile

     • View app version

     • Log out

  Additional Notes

  • Real-time GPS is most accurate with EZRouting tablets

  • Third-party integrations are possible, but updates may be delayed

  • Use push notifications to save on email/SMS costs

  • Latest BusQuest version: 1.2.10

  • Recommend parents enable auto-updates

  Closing and Q&A

  • Q: “Can we track students without tablets?”
    A: Yes, but third-party GPS has delays. Tablets give the best results.

  • Q: “Can parents see when their child was scanned onto the bus?”
    A: Yes, if your district uses QR scanning. It shows time, location, and bus number.

  • Q: “Can special education teams use the parent portal link?”
    A: Yes. The link is public—you can share it with internal staff too.

  • Q: “Can we include transportation rules for parents to agree to?”
    A: Yes. Use the Parent Consent Agreement in the portal settings.

  • Q: “Is there a mobile app version for staff?”
    A: Not currently. BusQuest is only for parents, and is web-based or app-based.

Updated May 20, 2025 16:21