Today is a big day for a lot of Bay County school kids, it's time for the report card! And now the school district has created a valuable tool available to parents, which allows more frequent tracking of student information.

Parents are encouraged to sign up for 'Parent Portal.' It's a useful tool that allows parents to view several types of information regarding student progress - grades, attendance, discipline, test scores, schedules and other details. Parents will have access, and at the same time there are measures in place that ensure a high level of security that protects student privacy.

Because of safety reasons, your will be asked to make an appointment at your child's school and show identification. Parents can register online anytime during the regular school year.

Log on to www.bay.k12.fl.us and click on the 'parents tab.' There you can do anything from make an appointment at your kids school to see his or her grades or the attendance policy. Following approval through the safety process, the account(s) Will be activated.