Back To School Guide

Richland School District has partnered with Boys & Girls Club of Benton & Franklin Counties to provide before and after school child care in our schools for our families with elementary students.

Visit www.greatclubs.org to learn about the Club's offerings and register your child by selecting the appropriate Club location for your child's school.

Busing

Bus route information will be updated in mid-August and will be available through the Elink portal. Learn more about Elink and how to set up your account.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) bus passes are issued to all bus-riding students and are used to monitor students boarding and exiting buses and the location of buses on routes. Returning students who previously rode an RSD bus will use the bus pass issued to them last school year. Information on how students new to the district can receive their bus pass will be provided in the coming weeks.

Middle school and high school students may qualify for a Ben Franklin Transit bus pass provided by the transportation department. Contact the Transportation Department at (509) 967-6150 to learn more.

RSD’s 1:1 Technology Initiative ensures all students in Grades K-12 are issued a district-provided Chromebook to enhance classroom learning and support online learning at home.

Chromebook Support

Our IT department will provide support to students and families with hardware issues and access to district-approved applications with district-issued Chromebooks. If you need assistance, please email ChromebookHelp@rsd.edu or call the Help Desk voice mailbox at (509) 967-6162, available 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students may qualify for free or reduced-price school meals due to a variety of factors. The district encourages families to complete a free/reduced meal application for the 2023-24 school year to determine their child’s eligibility and provide additional services while helping the district request state and federal funding for other school programs. An online application for free and reduced-price meals will be available on the RSD website after Aug. 7.

Some families automatically qualify for free or reduced meals through the direct certification process. If you receive a notification letter saying your child has automatically qualified, then you do not need to submit an application. Please check the letter carefully to make sure all your children are listed.

Families may download the So Happy app. for their smart phone for free to have quick access to menus at their child's school, including nutritional information and potential food allergens. That information is also available on the Sodexo website.

Questions? Contact Nutrition Services at (509) 967-6114.

MEAL PRICES, MENUS & MORE          MYMEALTIME PORTAL

For students who are new RSD, the enrollment process starts online. All online forms must be completed before they are submitted. Consult our boundary maps to learn which school your child will attend and provide that information on the online form.

Once the online forms are submitted, we will contact you to set up a time to visit the school and provide the following records to complete your child's enrollment:

NOTE: Families seeking to enroll their child at the Early Learning Center must contact the school to begin the enrollment process.

• Age- and name-verifying documents (i.e. birth certificate; previously verified school records or any other government documents; a religious, hospital, or physician's certificate showing date of birth; an adoption record, etc.)
• Medically verified immunization record (one of the following):
  • Print out from a state immunization registry (WA Immunization Information System (IIS) or MyIR)
  • Health care provider signed and dated immunization card
  • Clinic printed immunization records 
• Proof of residency (utility bill, lease agreement, etc.)

Families who lack Internet access at home may contact their child’s boundary school for assistance in completing the online enrollment process.

Questions? Contact your child's boundary school.

If your child has a disability, they may be eligible for special education and related services.

Families with children between 3- and 5-years old are encouraged to contact the Early Learning Center at (509) 967-6082 to learn whether their child qualifies for RSD’s developmental preschool program.

For older youth up to the age of 21, families should contact the Special Education department at (509) 967-6050 to request an evaluation of their student. Learn more about referrals for special education services.

There are several state-mandated vaccinations for students for the 2023-24 school year. Click here to learn more.

If your child requires medication while at school or has a medical condition that requires monitoring by the school, make sure to contact your school's nurse and provide the required documentation for child's condition. View available medical forms.

Student Health Information

Families of elementary students are asked to provide only the following items:

• 1 set of earbuds/headphones
• 1 backpack
• 1 box of quart-size baggies or 1 box of gallon-size baggies (to be determined by each teacher)

Families of middle school students are asked to provide only the following items: 

• 1 set of earbuds/headphones
• 1 set of clothes for physical education class
• 1 backpack

High school students will learn about supplies needed for their courses once they begin attending classes.

Thanks to the RSD community, the majority of school supplies for students in grades K-8 are funded by the Education Programs & Operations levy passed in February 2022. 

The Digital Learning Support page is the go-to resource for parents. Whether you're getting started using an online application for the first time or need to learn more about how to use a resource, you'll find the support you need.

View the tutorials 

Family Launchpad brings all the RSD platforms parents and guardians need into one digital space, reducing the number of web addresses to keep track of.

Family Launchpad allows you to access Family ID, Bus Routes, Nutrition Services, Canvas, PowerSchool, Class Dojo and more. Get started at parents.classlink.com/rsd.

For step-by-step instructions for logging in to Family Launchpad, visit www.rsd.edu/families/digital-learning-supports.

We are excited to announce that we adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with the Richland School District. Register and learn more by clicking the button below.

ParentSquare

PowerSchool is the district’s tool for families to check attendance records, grades, meal account balances and more. Families should also review their contact information and include their email and preference for text messages so they can receive school and district communications.

Parent Portal