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Overview
The Student Logistics Request is a feature of the Parent Portal that allows parents to update their students’ current absences, transportation plan, or extended care schedules. Parents can access the Logistics Update Form the parent portal via the {system:logistics_request} portal shortcut link you can add to a button or similar component. All children eligible to have their attendance, transportation plan, or extended care schedule updated will be available for selection in a dropdown list on the form. Parents can then set the reason for the update/change accordingly.
The ability to update a student’s transportation plan or extended care schedule is only possible if the school has the Transportation or Extended Care module. Contact your Account Manager if you would like to know more about the Transportation or the Extended Care modules.
Configuration
Because the Parent Portal Logistic form is dependent on the particular logistics setup of the school, there are a number of options the school can configure to allow parents to submit changes to their students’ logistics. All configuration options are available under the “Other” section on the “System” homepage.
Logistic Request Categories
Logistic request categories indicate what area of the system the request is being made for — attendance, transportation, or extended care — as well as determine to which department the new Logistic Request will be assigned for review and processing. There are five logistic request categories that schools have the option to display as part of the Parent Portal Logistic entry options. If it is displayed, parents will be able to submit requests to change their students’ logistics information for that category.
Use the “Logistic Request Categories” link on the System homepage to select which logistic categories should be enabled for parent entry from the portal. By default all categories are set to “Display.” Uncheck the checkbox in the “Display” column for any category that should not be available for parent entry. Schools who do not have the Transportation or Extended Care module should make sure these categories are not displayed on the form.
Fields on the Logistics Request Categories Page
- Overall Instructions: Will display on the Parent Portal.
- Notes Instructions: For internal use/reference.
- Sort Key: Controls the sort order on the Parent Portal.
- Display: Controls whether the category displays on the Parent Portal.
- Display Reasons?: Controls whether the request reasons will display. Reasons can be configured by clicking the “Logistic Request Reasons” link under the Other section on the System homepage in Axiom.
Request Categories
For each logistic request category parents will select a reason for the request (configured by the school, see below for details) and answer additional questions about the specific request.
Attendance – Single Day
For each of their children, parents can submit an attendance change for a single day. Changes may include updating today’sarrival time, departure time, full-days absence, etc.
Additional Question: What will the student’s [attendance] status be for the date the request is submitted? Parents will select from a list of attendance statuses that reflect their child’s attendance status for that day.
Attendance – Multi-Day
For each of their children, parents can submit an attendance change for a range of days. Changes may include a planned vacation in which a student will be out of school for an extended period of time.
Additional Question: Parents set the start and end date for their student’s extended absence.
Transportation to School
If the school has the Transportation module, parents can submit changes to their children’s transportation plan for arriving to school. Changes may include updating student’s regularly scheduled morning bus pick-up if a parent will be dropping the student off that morning.
Additional Question: How is the student getting to school? Parents will select from the school’s pre-configured transportation options to indicate the new plan for arrival to school (e.g. car, bus, or other). If the bus option is selected then parents will be able to select the route and stop where their child should be picked-up.
Transportation From School
If the school has the Transportation module, parents can submit changes to their children’s transportation plan for getting home from school. Changes may include updating student’s regularly scheduled afternoon bus schedule to being brought home by a friend’s parent.
Additional Question: How is the student getting home? Parents will select from the school’s pre-configured transportation options to indicate the new plan for getting home from school (e.g. car, bus, or other). If the bus option is selected then parents will be able to select the route and stop where their child should be dropped-off.
Extended Care Schedule Changes
If the school has the Extended Care module, parents can submit changes to their children’s extended care program schedule. Changes may include a student who is no longer planning to attend today’s after school activities.
Additional Questions: there are three Extended Care options a parent must select if a change or update to their student’s Extend Care plan is made. Parents should choose the option that fits best with their request reason. Options include:
- New Single Day Drop-In: parents should select this option if their child is attending a new extended care class for which they do not have a current attendance record setup. When this option is selected, parents then have the opportunity to select from a dropdown menu list which class their child will be attending.
- Change Scheduled Arrival/Leave Time: parents should select this option if there is a change to their child’s arrival or leave time to their regularly scheduled Extended Care class. When this option is selected, parents will be able to enter the new arrival time or leave time.
- Not Attending: parents should select this option if there child no longer plans to attend their regularly scheduled Extended Care class. Parents can leave any additional information in the Notes field that appears.
Instructions
Schools may also choose to provide instructions for submitting logistic change requests. Instructions can be made at the form level, category level, or at the request level.
- Overall Instructions
Provides instructions for entering updates or changes for this particular category. An information icon will display next to the category if instructions are present. A parent can hover over the icon to view the specific instructions for logistic requests made in that category. - Notes Instructions
Provides instructions for entering any other additional information that may be necessary for a parent to enter with their logistic request. Schools might consider using this field to ask additional questions that are unique to the school.
Logistic Request Reasons
As part of the logistic request process, parents must select a reason for why the request is being made. Reasons for logistic changes vary depending on the category in which they are entered. Schools have the option to add as many logistic request reasons as they would like per logistic request category. Once these reasons have been added, they will be available on the Parent Portal Logistic Request Form as a dropdown menu after the parent selects which category this request applies.
Logistic request reasons are added from the 
drop-down menu on the System homepage.
Parent Portal Entry
Parents are able to submit requests for attendance, transportation, and extended care changes for each of their children directly from the portal. When the Portal Logistic form is launched, parents can select which child this specific request applies and update the changes accordingly.
Before a schools wants to begin using student logistic requests, the Logistics Portal Config must be switched from FALSE to TRUE.
You need to add a link to the logistics request form on the parent portal. The system shortcut link is:
{system:logistics_request}
New logistic requests are entered in the left column of the Portal Logistic form. The process for entering a new request is as follows:
Step 1: Select the child for which this logistic request will be entered. |
When parents select the child, the right column will display the current master attendance status, transportation or extended care schedule (if applicable), and any pending, approved, or denied logistic requests for that child. Information in this column will change based on the date selected for the request. Parents can use the information in the right column to help them make informed updates to their child’s current attendance or new transportation or extend care plan. |
Step 2: Select the date to which the update or change applies. |
By default, the date select is set to today’s date. Parents should select the date in which this change is being requested for. For example, if a student will be arriving late to school tomorrow due to a morning doctor’s appointment, tomorrow’s date should be selected. For multi-day attendance changes, be sure to select the starting date of the student’s absence. This will auto-populate the start date when the “attendance multi-day” request category is selected. |
Step 3: Select the logistic request category that this request applies to. |
There are five logistic categories that a school can allow parents to submit through the Portal Logistics form:
See the Configuration section for more detail on enabling or unenabling request change options. |
Step 4: Select from the dropdown the reason for the logistic change request. |
Depending on the request change option selected, the dropdown menu option will display a list of all potential reasons applicable to that particular logistic request change. Parents should select the most appropriate reason for the request or choose the “Other” option and enter the reason in the Notes field. |
Step 5: Answer any additional questions based on the request being entered. |
Parents may need to answer additional questions about their child’s updated logistic information based on the request being entered. These extra questions are Veracross defined based on the configuration of the particular logistics area of the system that the change request applies. For example, if a change is made to a child’s transportation plan, the additional question parents must answer are what the child’s new transportation method will be (e.g. bus, car, other). These transportation options are pulled in from the school’s Transportation method configuration options. |
Step 6: Add any additional notes. |
Parents may use the Notes field to communicate any other additional information about their child’s logistic update or change. |
Step 7: Submit the logistic request. |
Once all information has been completed, parents can submit the request. Parents will receive an email notification when their change request is submitted. If parents would like to submit another logistic change request for another child, they can refresh the page and start the process over again. The recently submitted request will be added to the student’s logistic information column on the Parent Portal Logistic Request Form. Schools can then process the request and make the necessary changes to the appropriate records. See more about processing logistic change requests. |
Request Management
Pending logistic requests are assigned for review based on the logistic request category the parent selected on the request form. This way only individuals responsible for the particular logistic area of the system (i.e. attendance, transportation, or extended care) will see the pending logistic requests that are relevant to the area they are responsible for.
Logistic request can be processed by:
- Reviewing the student logistic request and marking the “Request Status” as either approved or denied, and
- Updating the appropriate records in the system to reflect the change (e.g. students master attendance record for today).
Review Student Logistic Requests
All pending requests awaiting review are found using the “Student Logistics Requests for Review” link under the Other section on the corresponding homepage to which the request’s logistic category applies. Schools can review each new request and mark them either approved, approved – send email, declined, or declined – send email. Once the request status has been modified the request will be removed from the “Student Logistics Request for Review” query.
Depending on which logistic request category the request is entered for, certain records may be automatically created by the system:
- Transportation Trip Records & Extended Care Drop-in Records: Trip and Drop-In records are created for students who have a Transportation Schedule or who have an Extended Care registration (respectively).
- If students do not have regular Transportation Schedules or Extended Care registration, then new Trip or Drop-In records must be added manually for that student.
- Master Attendance Records: Master attendance records are created automatically (with a status of “Present”) for Attendance-related Logistics Requests if the request is more than 7 days in the future, so that attendance managers simply need to update the attendance status for the date(s) requested.
To help schools manage logistic request processing, additional tabs are available on the Student Logistic Request record. These tabs are:
- Master Attendance: displays the student’s Master Attendance record for the date the request was submitted.
- Transportation: displays the student’s Transportation schedule (AM and PM trip records) for the date the request was submitted.
- Extended Care: displays the student’s Extended Care registration that is on or after the date the request was submitted.
Send Notifications to Staff When Request is Submitted
To set up a notification to be sent to a staff member when a logistics request is submitted, navigate to the System homepage and set up a new Logistics Request Notification from the Add menu. Once the blank detail screen pops up, set the person to be the Staff member and the notification type to be “Email”; aside from this, fill in the remaining fields as they apply. After this is set up, the staff member should get an email notification whenever a Logistics Request is submitted — with the email template being the Student_Logistics_Request_Submission.
Send a Notification of Approval or Decline
Schools can send a notification email to the parent letting them know that their request was approved or declined. Schools can mark a request with the status of “Approved – Send Email” or “Declined – Send Email.” This will send an email to the person who requested the change given that they have an email address in the system. These notification emails use the Student_Logistics_Request_Approved_Notification and Student_Logistics_Request_Declined_Notification email templates. If the school chooses not to send an email they can use the “Approved” or “Declined” request statuses instead.