Managing Students

Students are the passengers for school transportation services. Each student has pickup and drop-off addresses, is linked to a school, and can be connected to one or more parents.

What is a Student?

A Student record in RouteBot includes:

  • Basic information (name, grade, school)
  • Pickup address (where the bus collects the student in the morning)
  • Drop-off address (where the bus delivers the student in the evening)
  • Parent connections (for notifications)
  • Active/Inactive status

Accessing Students

  1. Click Users in the main navigation
  2. Select the Students tab
  3. You'll see a list of all students in your system

Creating a New Student

To add a new student:

  1. Click the Create New Student button
  2. Fill in the required information

Basic Information

Field Description Required
School Select the school the student attends Yes
Student Name The student's full name Yes
Grade The student's class or grade level No
Identifier Additional identifier (e.g., student ID number) No
Status Active or Inactive Yes

Student Status

  • Active - Student is currently using transportation services
  • Inactive - Student is not currently using services

Tip: When a student leaves the school, set them to Inactive rather than deleting. This preserves historical data and makes it easy to reactivate if they return.

Setting Up Addresses

The most important part of a student record is the address information. RouteBot needs accurate locations to plan routes.

Pickup Address (Morning)

This is where the bus will pick up the student:

  1. Enter the full street address in the Pickup Address field
  2. Click Get Location from Address
  3. Verify the map pin is in the correct location
  4. If the pin is wrong, drag it to the correct spot

Drop-off Address (Evening)

This is where the bus will drop off the student:

  1. Enter the full street address in the Drop-off Address field
  2. Click Get Location from Address
  3. Verify the map pin is in the correct location
  4. If the pin is wrong, drag it to the correct spot

Note: Pickup and drop-off addresses can be the same (most common) or different (e.g., parents who live at different addresses).

Address Verification

RouteBot indicates the quality of address geocoding:

Status Meaning
Green checkmark Address found and verified
Yellow warning Address found but may need verification
Red X Address not found - manual adjustment needed

Important: Routes cannot be properly optimized if student addresses are not verified. Always confirm the map pin is in the correct location.

Linking Parents to Students

Students should be connected to at least one parent for notifications:

Adding a Parent

  1. In the student form, find the Parent Information section
  2. Click Add Parent
  3. Choose one of these options:
    • Select Existing Parent - Search for a parent already in the system
    • Create New Parent - Add a new parent record

Multiple Parents

You can add multiple parents to a student:

  • Each parent will receive transportation notifications
  • Common for households with two parents
  • Useful for shared custody situations

Removing a Parent Link

To unlink a parent from a student:

  1. Find the parent in the Parent Information section
  2. Click the remove/delete icon next to their name
  3. Save the student record

Note: Removing the link doesn't delete the parent record - it just removes the connection to this student.

Editing a Student

To modify an existing student:

  1. Go to Users > Students
  2. Click on the student you want to edit
  3. Update the desired fields
  4. If you change addresses, re-verify the map locations
  5. Click Update to save changes

Managing Student Status

Setting a Student to Inactive

When a student no longer uses transportation:

  1. Open the student record
  2. Change Status to Inactive
  3. Save the changes

Inactive students:

  • Don't appear in route assignment lists
  • Are excluded from analysis and reports
  • Keep their historical data intact

Reactivating a Student

When an inactive student returns:

  1. Open the student record
  2. Change Status to Active
  3. Save the changes

Deleting a Student

Warning: Only delete students if they were entered by mistake. For students who leave, use Inactive status instead.

To delete a student:

  1. Open the student details
  2. Scroll to the bottom
  3. Click Delete
  4. Confirm the deletion when prompted

Deleting a student:

  • Removes them from all routes
  • Removes parent connections
  • May affect historical reports

Common Issues and Solutions

"Student doesn't appear in route assignment"

  • Check that the student status is Active
  • Verify the student has a verified pickup address
  • Make sure the student is assigned to the correct school

"Address not found"

  • Try entering a more complete address
  • Include city, state/province, and postal code
  • If still not found, manually drag the map pin to the correct location

"Student has no parent"

  • This is a warning, not an error
  • The student can still be on a route
  • However, no one will receive notifications
  • Add a parent for notification functionality

Best Practices

Data Entry

  • Enter the student's full legal name
  • Always verify both pickup and drop-off addresses
  • Link at least one parent with a valid phone number

Address Accuracy

  • Take time to verify map pins are correct
  • Drag pins to the exact pickup/drop-off spots
  • Accurate addresses = accurate route timing

Organization

  • Use the Grade/Level field to help organize students
  • Use the Identifier field for school ID numbers
  • Keep parent information up to date

Next Steps:

Last updated: March 23, 2026