Frequently Asked Questions

1. Speak to Classroom Teacher
2. If not resolved, Speak to School Principal
3. If not resolved, Speak to District Administrator
4. If not resolved, Speak to Superintendent's Office
5. If not resolved, Speak to School Board Member

1. Speak to School Principal
2. If not resolved, Speak to District Administrator
3. If not resolved, Speak to Superintendent's Office
4. If not resolved, Speak to School Board Member

1. Speak to District Administrator
2. If not resolved, Speak to Superintendent's Office
3. If not resolved, Speak to School Board Member

Dothan City Schools use the PowerSchool information system for recording grades and attendance.  You will email a request for a parent to login to portaladmin@dothan.k12.al.us.  You will need to send the Parent(s) Name, Student(s) Name, School(s) Name.  Once the request is received and processed, you will receive a login and instructions via email.

Please protect this confidential information. Should you misplace it, you must request it in person through the email address. No passwords will be provided over the phone.

Creating PowerSchool Parent Portal Account

1. Open a web browser and enter the URL: powerschool.com/public

2. Click “Create Account” tab

 

3. Click the blue “Create Account” button

 

4. Complete “Parent Account Details” Be sure to use a valid email address and note the username and password for future use.

 

 **Be aware of the Password requirements!

 

5. Complete the “Link Students to Account” section to connect your account to the students accounts/information/profile.

1. For the Access ID and Access Password, refer to the PowerSchool Parent Portal Instructions sent home by the school with each student.
   • Note: be sure to use the PARENT SPECIFIC student Access ID on the letter. The Access ID for the parent is different than the STUDENT ID, but the passwords will be the same.
2. If you have multiple students in Dothan City Schools, complete the information for each student in this area. Again, be sure to use the correct Access ID and Password for each student.
3. For the “Relationship” question, this refers to relationship of the person creating the account to the student. “I am the “ (in relation)  ” of the student.

 

 

6. Click the blue “Enter” at the bottom of the screen once all information has been entered.

7. Your account should be successfully created.

 

 

8. You will receive an email to the one used in the account setup process to verify your account. Click the blue URL link in the email to verify.

 

 

9. The link will return to PowerSchool with the message below. Log in with your previously created account credentials.

 

 

10. You will now have access to your student(s) class schedule, grades, attendance, and additional tools and information.

 

 

Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal App

1. In your mobile phone’s app store, download the “PowerSchool Mobile” app.

 

 

2. When the app downloads, open and enter the 4-digit DCS District Code: ZSFF

 

   

 

3. The login screen should connect to Dothan City Schools.

1. Parents: Use the username and password created during the account creation process completed on a computer.
2. Students: Use your Student Username and Password provided at school.

 

 

4. After logging in your student’s classes, class averages, attendance, and additional school information should show.

1. Parents: if during the account creation process you linked multiple students, press the button with your initials in the top right-hand portion of the screen to swap between students.

 

 

5. To log out on the app, click the “More” button in the bottom right of the app.

 

 

6. Press “Account” and scroll down and press “Sign Out”

 

 

Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal App
Creating PowerSchool Parent Portal Account

Dothan City Schools will continue to provide special education services to students who transfer into the district with an active Individualized Education Plan (IEP). To help make this transition as smooth as possible, it is important to provide a copy of your child's most recent IEP and evaluation at registration, if the information is available.   If the IEP is available, it will be implemented as written (including services comparable to those in the IEP from the previous school).  Additional records, if needed, will be requested from the previous school.  A special education teacher will contact the parent/guardian to schedule a meeting to review these services and determine if further evaluations are needed to meet the Alabama Administrative Code (AAC) criteria.

Dothan City Schools employs Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses and all schools are covered with full-time or part-time school nurses.  If your child requires a special medical procedure, the child’s physician will need to provide medical orders for your child’s care.  Please notify the school upon enrollment so the nurse and lead school nurse can plan for your child's arrival and ensure a smooth transition to your new school.  The school’s office personnel will provide you the contact information for your child’s assigned school nurse.

If your child receives medication, he/she will receive medication from a school nurse or a trained medication assistant. The school nurses are required to follow the Alabama Board of Nursing and the State Department of Education standards and guidelines in order to administer medications in the schools. All medication assistants receive a maximum of 12 hours of medication training before permission is granted to assist with medication administration.  A Prescriber/Parent Authorization Form must be signed before a child may receive prescription medication. The Prescriber/ Parent Authorization form is on the Health Services Section of this website.

Dothan City Schools Transportation Department will transport your child to and from zoned schools. Currently, transportation is not offered for Carver School for Math, Science and Technology, and Dothan City Early Education Center.

Once you register/enroll your child in school, you will receive a Transportation Form to complete showing the address and home location.  At that time, you will be assigned a bus number and time of arrival for pick up and return of your child.   To view bus routes, visit - BUS ROUTES.

The Student Code of Conduct has all of the rules and policies for students from elementary, middle, and high school.

Only the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian or Custodian of the child may enroll the child in Dothan City Schools. The enrolling parent/guardian/custodian shall reside in the attendance zone in which enrollment is sought. The student being enrolled must actually reside with the individual completing the enrollment.

You will enroll your child in the school that you are zoned for, based on your street address.  Please click the Zoning Link HERE to find your street address with school zone listings.  Once you locate the school zone for your child, you will go to the school office between 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Monday - Friday to enroll. 

We request a copy of the following for each child enrolling:

• Child's Birth Certificate
• Social Security Card
• Immunization Record (Blue Form) which if needed can be obtained at the Houston County Health Department or your child's physician.
• Proof of residency (Utility Bill, Lease, Phone Bill, etc.). 
• Student records from the previous school, if they released them to you.

If you are enrolling during holiday weeks or summer break, you may want to call the school office to make sure someone will be available to assist you.

For more information, view the Enrollment page.

• All children in households receiving benefits from SNAP, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or TANF, are eligible for free meals.  
• Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.
• Children participating in their school's Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
• Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household's income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

Do members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven't been told your children will get free meals, please call the district's Homeless Liaison @ 793-1397, Ext. 220.

No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to the CNP Manager at your child's school.

No, but please read the letter carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact the CNP Secretary @ 334- 793-1397, Ext. 258 immediately.

Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit www.myschoolapps.com to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact the CNP Secretary @ 334-793-1397, Ext. 258 if you have any questions about the online application.

Yes. Your child's application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year, through September 15, 2016. You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for this school year. If you do not send in a new application that is approved by the school or you have not been notified that your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be charged the full price for meals.

Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please send in an application.

Yes, we may ask you to send written proof of the household income you report.

Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may be eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: Director of Financial Services, 500 Dusy Street, Dothan, Alabama 36301; 793-1397.

Yes. You, your child(ren) or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.

List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only got $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

Household members may not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at all. Whenever this happens, please write a "0" in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume you meant to do so.

Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.

List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper, and attach it to your application. Contact the CNP Manager at your child's school or the CNP Office to receive a second application

To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 1-800-382-0499.

If you have other questions or need help, contact the CNP Manager at your child's school or the Child Nutrition Program Office @ 793-1397.