The Outside Bus Request module allows users to submit bus requests, review their submitted requests and the status of the requests. Users part of the approval chain can review and approve requests as well as review Approval History. This module also allows users to assign drivers and complete the bus request containing all billing and allocation information for transportation.
1. From the Setup menu, click Profiles.
2. The Profiles screen defaults to the Permissions tab.
3. Select Menu from the Permission Type pull-down.
4. Select the Role from the pull-down, such as Admin.
5. Select the applicable Profiles from the pull-down.
6. Click Submit.
7. Click the Transportation tab.
8. Select the View check box for the applicable Outside Bus Request permissions.
Outside Bus Request: If enabled, the profile can access the Outside Bus Request, which allows users to submit bus requests, review their submitted requests and the status of the requests.
Close Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can close/complete bus requests clicking the Complete Collection button from the Complete Bus Request tab.
Reopen Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can reopen bus requests that have been closed/completed. When enabled, users can click the Uncomplete Collection button to reverse the collection of funds to be made from the school to transportation on the Complete Bus Request tab.
View All Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can view all users' drafts, templates, and submitted requests by selecting the View All Users check box displayed on the Drafts, Templates, and Bus Request History tabs.
Print/Email Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can print and email bus requests.
Edit Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can create and edit bus requests.
Edit All Bus Request Drafts: If enabled, the profile can edit any existing Bus Request in Draft status, regardless of the requester.
Negative Budgets: If enabled, the profile can use negative budget as Allocations for bus requests.
Allow Final Destination / Date Edit: If enabled, the profile can enter and edit the Final Destination field as well as the Date field.
Cancel Approved Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can Cancel approved bus requests from the Bus Request History tab.
Can Edit Approved Bus Requests: If enabled, the profile can make edits to an already approved bus request.
9. Click Save.
See Profiles for more information.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. From the Drafts tab, you can create a new bus request draft as well as continue editing Existing Drafts. Before continuing, be sure the correct fiscal year is selected from the pull-down; it defaults to the current year.
3. To create a new draft, start be entering a bus request name in the provided text box. Then, click Create.
General Bus Request Information
Upon clicking Create, you will taken to the Current Bus Request tab where additional details can be entered and the request can be submitted.
The trip Number is assigned automatically. The Bus Request Status updates automatically as well. The Creator lists your name, and the Created Date displays as the date the draft was created.
1. Select the Requesting Facility from the pull-down.
2. If a specific organization is sponsoring the trip and has been registered (recorded in Setup), select the Sponsoring Organization from the pull-down.
3. Enter the Date the trip is supposed to take place.
4. If the trip is Recurring; i.e. if the same trip will take place on more than one occasion, select the corresponding check box. Upon selecting this check box, the Date text box is replaced by Date Range text boxes.
You can continue and complete the General Information section manually; however, these fields will be auto-populated once you generate a trip in the Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs section.
5. Enter the number of students who are expected to attend the trip in the # of Students text box.
6. Enter the number of adults who are expected to attend the trip in the # of Adults text box.
7. Enter the number of students who are in wheelchairs who are to attend the trip in the # of Wheelchairs text box.
8. Enter the number of bus aides that are required to attend the trip, if applicable, in the # of Bus Aides text box.
9. The # of Buses needed automatically populates based on the # of Students entered but can be edited as needed.
10. Enter the number of bus drivers needed from the Driver Pool to identify if you need a district provided driver.
11. Enter the number of School Provided Drivers needed; entering a number here identifies if you are using a school provided driver, such as a Coach of a traveling team.
12. Enter the # of Star Seats (infant seats) needed for the trip, if applicable.
13. Enter your username for your school email address in the Requested By text box in order to receive emailed updates regarding the request. The domain is set up by default.
14. Enter the name of the Pick Up Contact at the requesting facility.
15. Select the Final Destination from the pull-down.
If the applicable destination is not present on the pull-down, click the green plus sign to Add Bus Request Facility to the list.
16. Enter the Estimated Trip Miles in the provided text box.
17. Select the Are To Go Lunches Required? check box if the student require a lunch for the trip.
a. If the check box is selected, you can also select the Cafeteria Manager Notified check box to indicate that the manager has been informed of the trip.
b. Enter the Number of Lunches required.
18. When all information has been entered/selected, click the Generate button.
Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs
Upon clicking Generate, the Generate Locations pop-up displays where you can enter additional details about the trip.
The information required here varies depending on the information entering previously, such as whether the trip is recurring or not.
1. Enter or adjust the Date Range, as needed.
2. For recurring trips, select how often the trip occurs from the Recurs Every pull-down, such as every Week, 2 Weeks, or Month. Then, select the Recurring Days from the pull-down, such as every 2 Weeks on Wednesday.
3. Enter the requesting school's information starting with the school's Location for pick-up, such as Bus Loop.
4. Select the facility Code from the pull-down. If the school's code is not present, you can click the green plus sign to Add Bus Request Facility.
5. If an additional description is required for the pick-up location, enter details in the Description text box.
6. Enter the number of students attending the trip in the # Students text box.
7. Enter the number of adults attending the trip in the # Adults text box.
8. Enter the number of students who are in wheelchairs who are to attend the trip in the # Wheelchairs text box.
9. Enter the number of bus aides that are required to attend the trip, if applicable, in the # Bus Aides text box.
10. If there are multiple locations from which students are to be picked up for the trip, click Add Additional Location. Once clicked, you will see each additional location listed.
To remove any added locations, click Delete Additional Location.
11. Enter the trip destination information starting with the destination's Location for drop-off, such as Zoo Parking Lot B.
12. Select the destination Code from the pull-down. If the destination's code is not present, you can click the green plus sign to Add Bus Request Facility.
13. If an additional description is required for the drop-off location, enter details in the Description text box.
14. Enter the One Way Distance in Miles in the provided text box.
a. Click Estimate to auto-calculate the miles based on the Locations entered.
b. Click Map to open Google Maps in order to determine the distance of the trip in miles.
15. Select the Are To Go Lunches Required? check box if the student require a lunch for the trip.
16. Enter the Number of Lunches required.
17. Select the Cafeteria Manager Notified check box to indicate that the manager has been informed of the trip.
18. Select the Star Seats Required? check box if infant seats are required for the trip. Then, enter the Number of Star Seats? needed.
19. Enter the number of bus drivers needed from the Driver Pool to identify if you need a district provided driver.
20. Enter the number of School Provided Drivers needed; entering a number here identifies if you are using a school provided driver, such as a Coach of a traveling team.
21. If the trip is an Overnight Trip, select the corresponding check box.
22. If the trip is a No Return Trip, select the corresponding check box.
23. Enter the time of pick-up from the original location (the school) in the Pick-Up School text box. Enter the time the bus should arrive at the destination in the Drop-Off Destination text box.
24. Enter the return time of pick-up in the Pick-Up Destination text box. Enter the time the bus should arrive back at the school in the Drop-Off School text box.
25. When all information has been entered/selected, click Generate.
26. Once you click Generate, the Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs section auto-populates based on the information entered in the Generate Locations pop-up. The information displayed here can be edited as needed. Click any of the blue underlined text fields or pull-downs to make changes.
Below the table displays the Total Time of the trip as well as the Est[imated] Cost of the trip.
27. You can add more pick-up and drop-off information by using the last row of the table and pressing the Enter key when all data has been entered or you can click Generate to add information via the Generate Locations pop-up.
To delete the computed pick-up and drop-off location and times, click the delete button (red minus sign).
Allocations
1. Select the account that will be allocated from the school (requesting facility) to the transportation department. Select the applicable elements from the pull-downs, such as Facility, Fund, Function, etc. The elements displayed depend on the district.
If a Sponsoring Organization is selected, the Fund and Function fields auto-populate based on the selection made and cannot be modified; all remaining elements can be edited as needed.
2. When all elements have been selected, enter the Amount to be paid from this account towards the trip. The amount defaults to the estimated trip cost but can be edited as needed in order to split the cost between different accounts.
3. When the accounting strip has been selected and the Amount has been entered, while clicked into a text box, press the Enter key to commit the line of data. The line will turn blue and the delete button will display when the line has saved.
Once the line has been committed, the Budgeted, Committed, Encumbered, Expended, and Balance columns automatically populate based on account information. These columns will automatically update as the trip is completed and the money is expended.
4. Add as many accounts as needed until the total cost of the trip is covered.
Finalizing the Bus Request
1. Attach any applicable Files in the corresponding section. As indicated in the Files section, drag files directly into the box to attach documents or click the Select button to browse for files. There is also a Scan File button next to the Select button for direct scanning. Click the Scan File button; this will prompt you to download Dynamsoft. This is a one-time download that allows you to attach files directly from your scanner. In doing so, you will bypass saving the file to your computer first.
2. Post any necessary comments. The comments left here are for internal use only, meaning only other staff members will have access. To add a comment, simply type the comment in the white text field. Then, click the Post button.
3. To Submit the trip request, click the corresponding button. Once submitted, the trip request displays on the Bus Request History tab. For more information about trip history, see the Bus Request History section.
4. From this screen, you can also Print Unofficial documentation by clicking the corresponding button.
i. To print, click the printer icon located in the upper right corner of the screen.
ii. Click the download icon to download the image as a PDF file.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. From the Drafts tab, you can create a new bus request draft as well as continue editing Existing Drafts. Before continuing, be sure the correct fiscal year is selected from the pull-down; it defaults to the current year.
3. To View All Users who have started a draft, click the corresponding button. Note: Only select users have permission to view all users' drafts.
Upon viewing all users' drafts, you can Hide All Users to display only your own drafts again.
4. To view drafts applicable to a specific facility, select te facility from the provided pull-down. The pull-down defaults to All Facilities.
5. From the Existing Drafts section, you can edit the Name of the drafts by clicking in the Name text box and making changes as needed.
6. To view the draft in order to edit or submit the bus request, click the View button. Clicking View takes you to the Current Bus Request tab. For more information on completing a Bus Request, see Creating Outside Bus Requests. Click the Drafts tab to return to the drafts.
6. To create a copy of an existing draft, click the Duplicate button.
a. Upon clicking Duplicate, you will be prompted to enter a new draft title. Click OK when done.
The copy created opens in the Current Bus Request tab. For more information on completing a Bus Request, see Creating Outside Bus Requests. Click the Drafts tab to return to the drafts.
7. To delete a draft, click the delete button (red minus sign).
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. Click the Templates tab to create a template that can be used to create bus requests as many times as needed.
3. Name the template and click Create.
4. Enter as much information as desired in order for other users to create bus requests. The rest of the information in the top section can only be completed upon creating a draft.
5. Click Generate to add information to the template via the Generate Locations pop-up, which populates the Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs section. For more information on completing this section, follow the steps described in Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs.
6. Allocations cannot be added to a template. However, Files and Comments can be added as needed. See Finalizing the Bus Request for more information on adding Files and Comments.
7. All information added saves automatically. Click the Templates tab to view the create template in the Existing Templates section.
8. Once the template has been created, you can click the text underlined in blue to edit the Name. To create a copy of the template and edit it as needed for other uses, click the Duplicate button.
To remove any existing templates, click the delete button.
9. Click the View button to view and edit the template.
10. Click the Use button to use the template and create a trip request draft. Once Use is clicked, you will be prompted to enter a name of the new trip request draft. Name the draft and click OK. Click Cancel to close the pop-up window and return to the Templates tab.
Once the draft is named, the Current Bus Request tab is opened. From this point forward, you are creating a new draft. For more information, follow the steps outlined in Creating Outside Bus Requests.
1. Click the Bus Request History tab to view the status of your request as well as other details pertaining to submitted requests.
2. To View All Users who have submitted a request, click the corresponding button. Note: Only select users have permission to view all users' requests. The requests that display when View All Users is selected depends on permissions set up via Setup > Accounting Strips.
Upon viewing all users' requests, you can Hide All Users to display only your own requests again.
From this tab, you can review the Creator of the request, the Name, the trip Number assigned, the Type of trip, the Status of the request, the Created Date, the Start Date and End Date of the trip, Total Hours of the trip, Cost of the trip, Requesting Facility, the # of Students, # of Adults, # of Wheelchairs, and the # of Bus Aides attending the trip, and whether or not the trip has been Completed.
3. Hover over the Status of the request to view the Approval Chain; i.e. the user(s) responsible for reviewing and approving your request. The Approval Chain shows which users are pending (hourglass) and which users have approved the request (green check mark). If the request is denied by any one user in the approval chain, the request will be sent back to the creator of the request as denied.
4. Click the View button to open the request in the Current Bus Request tab.
Once a trip request has been approved, the Complete Bus Request tab displays. From this tab, you can enter additional information in order to complete the trip. This step would take place after the trip has taken place. For more information see Complete Bus Request.
5. Click the Duplicate button to create a copy of the request. Clicking Duplicate will create a new draft.
a. Upon creating a copy, you will be prompted to enter a name of the new trip. Click OK once the name has been entered.
6. Click Cancel to cancel the trip request.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. If you are a part of the Approval Chain for trip requests, you will see a tab called Pending Approval. Click the tab to review all requests in order to be approved, denied, or sent back to originator.
3. The Show only my pending check box is selected by default. To view requests pending approval by other users part of the approval chain, clear the selected check box.
The Pending Approvals table displays the Type of request, the Requester, the Start Date and End Date of the trip, the Name of the request, the assigned Number, and the Status of the request, such as Pending, Approved, Denied.
4. Hover over the Status of the request to view the Approval Chain; i.e. the user(s) responsible for reviewing and approving your request. The Approval Chain shows which users are pending (hourglass) and which users have approved the request (green check mark). If the request is denied by any one user in the approval chain, the request will be sent back to the creator of the request as denied.
5. Click the View button to open the request in the Current Bus Request tab.
From the Current Bus Request tab you can review all of the information in order to make an informed decision about the request. To Approve, Deny, or Send Back to Originator for edits, you can scroll to the bottom of the screen while on the Current Bus Request tab or click the Pending Approval tab.
From this tab, you must select a specific Driver Pool from the pull-down to apply to the trip request. The pool selected determines the drivers who will be assigned to the trip once approved. Driver Pools are set up via Transportation > Setup > Bus Driver Pools.
6. On the Pending Approval tab, click the Approve button to approve the trip request.
7. Click the Deny button, to deny the request.
8. Click Send Back to Originator to send the request back to the requester with a message as to what needs to be edited and resubmitted. Once the message has been entered, click the Send button. To cancel, click the X.
9. From this screen, you can also Print Unofficial documentation by clicking the corresponding button.
a. To print, click the printer icon located in the upper right corner of the screen.
b. Click the down arrow to download the image as a PDF file.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. If you are a part of the Approval Chain for bus requests, you will see a tab called Approval History. Click the tab to review all approved or denied requests.
The Approval History table displays the Type of request, the Requester, the Start Date and End Date of the trip, the Name of the request, the assigned Number, and the Status of the request, such as Approved or Denied.
3. Hover over the Status of the request to view the Approval Chain; i.e. the user(s) responsible for reviewing and approving your request. The Approval Chain shows which users are pending (hourglass) and which users have approved the request (green check mark). If the request is denied by any one user in the approval chain, the request will be sent back to the creator of the request as denied.
4. Click the View button to open the request in the Current Bus Request tab.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. Click the Bus Request History tab.
3. Once the trip request has been approved by all users in the Approval Chain and a Driver Pool has been selected by one of the approvers, as described in Pending Approval, click the View button next to the approved request.
4. From the Current Bus Request tab, scroll down to the Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs section to review drivers assigned.
a. Scroll to the right to see the column called Drivers. The drivers that have been assigned display in the column next to each scheduled trip.
Next to each driver's name, displays a status, such as Pending, Accepted, Rejected, or Deleted.
5. Depending on the Setup of trips, you may have the option to Assign School Driver and Assign Driver Aide by clicking the corresponding button.
a. From the Manually Assign School Provided Driver or Manually Assign Bus Driver Aide pop-up window, select the driver/aide from the pull-down and click Assign.
6. Scroll to the right to see the column called Drivers. The drivers that have been assigned display in the column next to each scheduled trip.
Next to each driver's name, displays a status, such as Pending, Accepted, Rejected, or Deleted.
7. Click Print to print the Driver Acceptance Form.
8. Based on the information completed on the Driver Acceptance Form, you can select from the following buttons: Accept, Reject, or Delete.
Once the Accept, Reject, or Delete button is selected, the Revert button displays allowing you to revert to the previous state.
9. Once a driver is deleted, you must assign another driver. See the previous steps or click Queue Pull to assign the next driver in line based on programmed union regulations. If the selected driver declines the trip, the next driver in line as per union regulations will be assigned the trip, and so on. However, if the Queue Pull needs to be overridden, you have the option to Manually Assign drivers by clicking the corresponding button.
a. When Manually Assign is selected, a Manually Assign Bus Driver pop-up is displayed. Select the driver from the pull-down and click Assign.
1. From the Transportation menu, click Outside Bus Request.
2. Click the Bus Request History tab.
3. Once the trip request has been approved and taken place, click the View button next to applicable trip.
4. From the Current Bus Request tab, the Complete Bus Request tab becomes available; click the tab to enter the remaining details in order to mark the trip as complete.
The first section of the screen displays Approved Info from the bus request.
5. To complete the bus request, you must complete the Finalized Info section.
6. The # of Students, # of Adults, # of Wheelchairs, # of Bus Aides, the # of Buses, the # of Star Seats as well as the Driver Pool and School Provided Drivers pulls from the original request. Edit these numbers as needed to ensure the numbers are accurate and up-to-date.
7. Upon completing the trip, the drivers will submit the required documentation regarding the trip in order to complete the Drivers section. Once submitted, enter the Bus #, Starting Mileage, Ending Mileage, the Arrive At time, and the time the bus Returned At in the corresponding text boxes.
As the Drivers information is entered, the Total Mileage and Final Cost fields are updated.
If the trip is a recurring trip, the Finalized Info section displays for each trip, which can be used to record data from the driver and allow a collection of funds to be made from the school to transportation. Each recurring trip can be completed separately, after which, an unofficial invoice can be generated/printed.
8. If the district has enabled additional expenses, enter Sunpass expenses and Other Expenses in the provided text boxes.
As the finalize information is entered, the Total Mileage and Final Cost fields are updated.
10. Once all of the information has been entered, click Complete Collection to allow for a collection of funds to be made from the school to transportation.
11. Click Print Unofficial Invoice to print an invoice to be sent to the applicable party responsible for payment. Districts can use the invoice as documentation upon receiving funds from the responsible party.
12. Click Cancel Collection to cancel the collection of funds.
a. Once canceled, click Uncancel Collection to reopen billing and apply the collection of funds, if applicable.
13. The Allocations established in the Allocations section of Creating Outside Bus Requests are pulled in to the final trip data; however, accounting strips can be edited as needed before completing the trip.
To edit accounts, click the pull-downs to change selections or click into any of the text fields that are underlined in blue. Click the delete button to delete an accounting strip and add new information.
14. If needed, you can attached documents to the trip via the Files section, such as driver forms.
a. As indicated in the Files section, drag files directly into the box to attach documents or click the Select button to browse for files. There is also a Scan File button next to the Select button for direct scanning. Click the Scan File button; this will prompt you to download Dynamsoft. This is a one-time download that allows you to attach files directly from your scanner. In doing so, you will bypass saving the file to your computer first.
15. Post any necessary Comments. The comments left here are for internal use only, meaning only other staff members will have access. Comments will not print on the receipt.
a. To post a comment, enter your comment in the text box and click Post.
16. From this screen, you can also Print Unofficial documentation by clicking the corresponding button.
a. To print, click the printer icon located in the upper right corner of the screen.
b. Click the down arrow to download the image as a PDF file.
Click the Excel icon in the Export section to export the table of data to an Excel spreadsheet, which can then be saved to your computer.
Click the Printer icon to print the table of data.
If there are multiple pages of data, click the Prev and Next buttons to sift through pages. You can also enter a number in the Page text box to jump to a page.
Click the Filters button to filter data and apply filter rules.
a. To add more than one filter to a column, click on the green plus sign.
b. To delete an added filter, click on the red minus sign.
c. Select the gray arrow for additional filtering rules.
d. Click Clear All Filters to remove all applied filters.
For more information, see Filters.
You can also sort data by clicking on any of the headers. Click once for ascending results; click twice for descending results.
Use the Filter text box located in select pull-down to quickly find a selection. Begin typing the name or number of the data in question to pull it to the beginning of the list.
