Your PowerSchool district code is a short code that tells the PowerSchool Mobile app which school district to connect to. You type it in the first time you open the app, then sign in with your usual username and password.
PowerSchool's getting started guide calls it a four-digit district code, but in practice the codes are four letters. Vail School District in Arizona, for example, gives families the code BFSZ. Every district has its own.
This guide covers where to find the code, how to set up the app, and how to create a parent account and add your children.
Score and letter grade from the number wrong.
Where to find your district code
There are three ways, from quickest to slowest:
- Sign in on the PowerSchool website. PowerSchool's guide notes that the main menu displays your district code. The Parent and Student Resource Center says it should appear in the black box in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
- Search for your district in the app. On the app's sign-in screen, tap "Where is my district code?" and choose Search for Your District. You can also enter your school's PowerSchool web address instead.
- Ask your school. Many districts list the code on their website or in new-family information, and the school office can give it to you.
If you sign in on the website and no code appears, your district hasn't connected its PowerSchool server to the mobile app service. Some districts set the app up differently. Flasher Public School in North Dakota, for example, tells parents not to use a district code and to enter the server address instead. Your school's instructions win if they differ.
How to set up the PowerSchool Mobile app
The Resource Center sets out the steps:
- Download PowerSchool Mobile from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your district code, or search for your district.
- Sign in with the same username and password you use on the website.
Two things trip people up. First, the username is case sensitive in the app even though it isn't on the website, so type it exactly. Second, if your children are at schools with different district codes, you'll need to sign out and back in to switch between them.
Once you're in, our guides explain how to check grades in PowerSchool and find your GPA.
How to create a PowerSchool parent account
Parent accounts are created on your district's PowerSchool website, not in the app. You'll need an Access ID and Access Password for each child, which come from the school. PowerSchool's accounts guide explains that your administrator provides them, and that one parent account can link all of your children.
If your school allows parents to sign up themselves, follow PowerSchool's create a parent account steps:
- Go to your district's PowerSchool sign-in page and open the Create Account tab.
- Click Create Account and enter your name, email, username and password.
- For each child, enter their name, Access ID, Access Password and your relationship to them.
- Click Enter.
- Open the verification email and click the link within 24 hours.
- Sign in with your new username and password.
If there's no Create Account tab, your school creates accounts for parents. Contact the school office.
How to add another student to your account
If you already have a parent account, you can add another child from Account Preferences. PowerSchool's guide to adding students lists the steps:
- Sign in and open Account Preferences.
- Go to the Students tab and click Add.
- Enter the student's name, Access ID and Access Password.
- Click Submit.
You'll need a separate Access ID and Access Password for each child, from their school.
Forgot your username or password?
Parents can recover both online, as long as the district has turned the feature on:
- Password. On the sign-in page, click Forgot Username or Password, enter your username and email, then click the link in the email you receive. PowerSchool's password recovery guide notes that the link is only valid for 30 minutes.
- Username. Use the Forgot Username tab and enter your email address, and your username is emailed to you. See the username recovery guide.
Students can't reset their own passwords this way. The Resource Center says students should contact their school.
Where to find a student ID number
PowerSchool doesn't have one standard place for the student ID number, so it depends on your district. Some show it in a student information form in the portal or under a Tools menu in the app. In SAU 19 in New Hampshire, for example, it's under More, then Tools, then Student ID in the app. If you can't find it, the school office can tell you.
The Access ID used to create a parent account is different from the student ID. It always comes from the school.