Connect Verkada Guest to PowerSchool

Pull up-to-date student and guardian information and track tardies using Guest

PowerSchool is a popular school information system used by admins, teachers, and students. Verkada Guest can connect with a school district’s PowerSchool Server to sync school data including student, guardian, and attendance code information. Using this integration allows schools to build out school-specific Guest Types for late arrivals, guardian pickups, and more.

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Setup

Download the Verkada Guest plugin for PowerSchool

You need Org Admins permissions to download the Verkada Guest plugin for PowerSchool.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Workplace > Guest.

2

In the left navigation, click Guest Settings.

3

Under Organization, select Schools.

4

Select Download PowerSchool Plugin.

Install the Verkada Guest plugin

1

Log in to PowerSchool as an administrator.

2

Click System Management > Server > Plugin Configuration.

3

Click Install.

4

Under Plugin Installation File, click Choose File.

5

Select the downloaded Verkada Guest plugin (.zip file) from your device and click Open (do not unzip the file and install the .XML file).

It may take a few minutes for the plugin to install.

6

From the Plugin Configuration page, check the box to enable the plugin.

7

In the sidebar that opens, click Enable.

Get Client ID and Client Secret for the plugin

1

In PowerSchool, click System Management > Server > Plugin Configuration.

2

Select the Verkada Guest plugin to take you to the plugin summary page.

3

At the bottom, select Data Provider Configuration.

On this page, Client ID and Client Secret can be retrieved.

Connect a PowerSchool Server to Verkada Command

You need Org Admins permissions to connect a PowerSchool Server to Command.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Workplace > Guest.

2

In the left navigation, click Guest Settings.

3

Under Organization, select Schools.

4

Select Sync students with PowerSchool.

5

Enter the Client ID, Client Secret, and PowerSchool Server URL.

6

Click Sync.

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Link schools to Guest sites

You need Org Admins permissions to link PowerSchool schools to Guest sites.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Guest.

2

In the left navigation, click Guest Settings.

3

Under Organization, select Schools.

4

Under Sync students with PowerSchool, select Manage Schools.

5

Links schools to Guest sites. When finished, select the checkmark in the top right.

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Configure Guest Types to write Attendance Codes

You need at least Workplace Site Admin permissions to modify Guest Type settings.

Verkada Guest can optionally write back daily attendance codes to PowerSchool for School Guest Types.

1

In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Guest.

2

On the left navigation, click Guest Settings.

3

Under Sites > Guest Types, click Manage Guest Types.

4

Select an existing School Guest Type, or create a new one.

5

Click Attendance Code.

6

Select an attendance recording method.

• Daily Attendance: select one attendance code.

Any sign-in using a Guest Type with a daily attendance code automatically writes the code back to PowerSchool for the current day.

• Meeting Attendance: select an attendance code for the current meeting and optionally apply attendance codes to all previous or future meetings.

Verkada Guest only supports Meeting and Daily attendance recording methods. A single Guest Type can only use one attendance recording method.

7

In the top right, click Save.

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FAQ

What is a PowerSchool Server URL?

A PowerSchool Server URL refers to the URL for the PowerSchool admin portal. this URL is unique to a PowerSchool Server.

Can Global Guest Types be configured with attendance codes?

No, only site-level School Guest Types can be configured with attendance codes.

A guardian-student association seems to be incorrect or missing.

Verkada associates a guardian with a student only if the guardian contact:

• Has the Active box checked

• Has the School Pickup flag set to True for the desired student

How can I check if my school records attendance in a way that Verkada supports?

PowerSchool features multiple attendance recording methods. Verkada Guest supports writing attendance codes back to schools that have Daily and/or Meeting enabled for attendance recording.

See more about configuring attendance recording in PowerSchool here.

Does the Attendance Code feature write to Clock In and Clock Out times in PowerSchool?

No, Verkada Guest does not populate Clock In or Clock Out times when writing attendance codes back to PowerSchool.