Portal Forms
Choosing forms for your school
Quick answer: Sort your current paper forms into four buckets (annual, per-event, medical, operational), pick the 3–5 you struggle with most, and start there. Don't try to migrate everything at once.
The four-bucket audit
Take whatever stack of paper forms you have today and sort them into these buckets:
| Bucket | What goes here | How often collected |
|---|---|---|
| Annual / registration | Forms every family signs once per academic year (handbook acknowledgement, tuition agreement, photography release, emergency contacts). | Once a year |
| Per-event | Forms tied to a specific moment (a field trip, a specific medical procedure, a sports season). | As needed |
| Medical / health | Allergy lists, medication permissions, immunization records, doctor info. | Once a year + updates as needed |
| Operational | Pickup authorization, carpool, cafe worker permission — things that govern how your day-to-day operations work. | Once + updates as needed |
Common school forms that work well as Portal Forms
Here's a starter list from schools already using Portal Forms. Steal any that apply.
Annual / registration
- Parent/Student Handbook Acknowledgement
- Tuition Agreement
- Photography / Media Release
- Internet and Technology Use Agreement
- Emergency Contact Form
Medical
- Health Form / Medical Information Sheet
- Allergy and Special Diet Form
- OTC Medication Authorization
- Sunscreen / Insect Repellent Application Authorization
- Concussion Acknowledgement (sports)
- Immunization Exemption Statement (state-specific)
Operational / release
- Authorization for Release / Pickup Authorization
- Carpool Authorization
- Cafe Worker Permission
- Volunteer Background-Check Acknowledgement
- Custody Documentation Upload
Per-event
- Field Trip Permission — Generic
- Field Trip Permission — High Adventure (overnight, water, etc.)
- Sports Participation Form
Two questions to ask about every form
1. Is this per-student or per-family?
A Photo Release is usually per-student — a family with three kids might say yes for two and no for the youngest. A Handbook Acknowledgement is usually per-family — signing once covers the whole household. There's a dedicated article on this question (see Related Articles), but the quick rule: if the answer changes depending on which child it's about, it's per-student.
2. Do we need a new submission every year?
Most forms reset annually — you want a fresh acknowledgement each school year. Some don't — for example, an emergency contact form might stay valid until the parent changes something.
What about state-mandated PDF forms?
Some forms — for example, state immunization exemption statements — must be a specific PDF with a specific signature in a specific place. You can't replace those with a Portal Form, but you can pair them: parents upload the signed PDF using a Portal Form that has a file upload field, and you get the completion tracking and reminders for free.
Tips
- Start with 3–5 forms, not 15. Pick the ones you struggle to chase every year.
- Once you see the data flowing back into your dashboard, you'll get a better feel for which other forms are worth migrating.
Related articles
- Per-student vs per-family forms
- Requesting a new form
- What are Portal Forms?
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