Frequently Asked Questions

General

Questions about the Ruvna Suite overall.

What does the name Ruvna mean?

It's a completely made up word! But ruvna.com was an available 5-letter domain which teachers could easily type into their browsers during a crisis, so it became our name. We try to make everything, even down to our name, an intentional choice to help schools when it matters most.

How do I pronounce Ruvna?

We say "roov-nah", but if you schedule a demo you can pronounce it however you'd like!

Does Ruvna integrate with my SIS?

Ruvna works with virtually every Student Information System. Ruvna’s technical team works with your school, SIS vendor, and 3rd party integrators to make sure data flows seamlessly between your SIS and Ruvna.

For more information, see Integrations.

Does Ruvna work with Clever?

Yes! Ruvna is a certified Secure Sync Partner with Clever. If your school/district syncs your SIS data with Clever, getting up and running with Ruvna has never been easier.

Is Ruvna secure?

Ruvna is incredibly secure. As a safety platform, Ruvna takes security very seriously. All traffic is encrypted via HTTPS/SSL. Data is completely isolated between schools and encrypted to prevent tampering. We never share data with 3rd parties. Ever. Ruvna maintains compliance with FERPA and COPPA, and doesn’t use GPS tracking of any kind.

I'm with a business, not a school. Can my business get Ruvna?

Ruvna is available exclusively to K-12 schools and districts in the United States.

Can I get just one of the products in the Ruvna Suite for my school?

Yes! While the Ruvna Suite bundle offers the best value, subscriptions for Accountability, Attendance, and Announcements are also available à la carte.

Attendance

Check students in and out of school in order to paint an amazingly accurate picture of who is on-site at any given time.

How does Ruvna Attendance work?

Ruvna Attendance simplifies the attendance tracking process by recording student arrivals and departures using a mobile app or web-based interface. This allows teachers to save time and reduce the amount of manual data entry required for attendance tracking.

What are the benefits of using Ruvna Attendance?

Ruvna Attendance provides several benefits for schools, including:

  • Streamlined attendance tracking process
  • Improved data accuracy and reliability
  • Enhanced communication with staff members
  • Automated data syncing with the school's Student Information System (SIS)
  • Real-time attendance reports and analytics
Can Ruvna Attendance integrate with my school's Student Information System (SIS)?

Yes, Ruvna Attendance can integrate with a wide range of SIS platforms, including Veracross, Blackbaud, Alma, Infinite Campus, PowerSchool, Clever, ClassLink and more to keep your data in Ruvna up-to-date. In the case of Blackbaud and Veracross, Ruvna can automatically sync attendance data back to your SIS as well. This reduces the risk of errors associated with manual data entry.

Can parents access attendance data through Ruvna Attendance?

Ruvna Attendance does not currently offer direct parent access to attendance data. However, schools can use Ruvna Attendance to automate communication to parents about their student's attendance. This can include sending automatic attendance reports or notifications to parents when their child is marked absent or tardy. Ruvna also offers a range of other features and capabilities for schools to improve attendance tracking, communication, and data management.

Can Ruvna Attendance be used for remote or hybrid learning?

Yes, Ruvna Attendance is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different learning models, including remote and hybrid learning. Teachers can take attendance remotely using the Ruvna app or web-based interface, and attendance data can be automatically synced back to the SIS.

Does Ruvna Attendance track student GPS location?

Ruvna Attendance allows students to check in using their location via the mobile app, but the location data never leaves their device. School personnel can only see whether or not a student has checked-in, but not where they are. The location data is used solely for attendance tracking purposes and is not shared with anyone outside of the school's designated personnel. It is also entirely up to the school whether or not to enable this feature and up to the student whether or not to use it.

Accountability

Crisis management app enabling schools to communicate and locate students in real-time during emergencies and drills.

Can Ruvna check in staff during drills and emergencies too?

Yes! We know when staff members are active in Ruvna, and if they become active during an emergency we check them in as well. With our new Visitor Management integration, visitors checked in through the system are also accounted for during emergencies. Users and visitors that do not become active are displayed to administrators/law enforcement and can be manually checked in.

What if a teacher doesn't have their phone?

Any device that connects to the internet can be used with Ruvna. Any computer, tablet, or cell phone will work. If a teacher doesn't have their device, any other accessible device (like a student's phone) is sufficient. In the unlikely event that no one in a class has a device, any other Ruvna user can change their view on their device to become another teacher's roster, and use that for checking students in.

How do I know who is missing?

Using Ruvna, teachers quickly check-in their students so everyone knows that they are safe. Any additional students that join the classroom get checked-in as well, alerting the appropriate staff and personnel automatically. Administrators follow along live to see exactly which students are safe, who has not been checked-in yet, and who might need help. With the Visitor Management integration, this now includes visitors on campus as well.

TL;DR - Ruvna uses "process of elimination" to show you a live snapshot of who is missing at all times during an event, including students, staff, and visitors.

What if a student isn't with their scheduled teacher?

Without Ruvna, that student's teacher (along with the school) likely wouldn't know where the student is, or even that the student is missing. With Ruvna, if the student is with a different staff member, their teacher will receive a notification letting them know the student is safe. If the student is not with another staff member, they will be one of the "remaining students", and displayed immediately to administrators and law enforcement to be found.

Schools can also utilize Student Self Check-In to send students single-use links which let them check-in or get help without logging into an account or requiring any prior training with Ruvna at all.

How do you account for absent students or roster changes?

Ruvna syncs teachers and rosters from your SIS daily to keep your data current. For absent students, schools can either manually input this information into Ruvna or, depending on their setup, may have the option to sync attendance data from their SIS. During an emergency, Ruvna helps you quickly distinguish between absent students and those who need to be accounted for, streamlining your response efforts.

How does the Visitor Management system integrate with Accountability?

Our Visitor Management system is now fully integrated with Accountability at no additional cost. During an emergency or drill, visitor information is automatically included in the Accountability system. This means you can track and communicate with visitors just as you do with students and staff, ensuring complete campus-wide accountability.

Can visitors check themselves in during an emergency?

Yes, similar to our Student Self Check-In feature, visitors can receive single-use links via text message to check themselves in or request help during an emergency. This ensures that even if visitors are separated from staff, they can still be accounted for and receive critical information.

How do you handle large events with many visitors?

Our Visitor Management system includes a bulk upload feature that allows you to easily import visitor information for large events like parent-teacher conferences or graduation ceremonies. During an emergency, all these visitors can be quickly accounted for through the Accountability system.

Dismissal

Organize carline pickup, track who's been called, and ensure every student gets safely off campus. Ruvna Dismissal brings order to the most chaotic part of the school day.

How does Ruvna Dismissal work?

Ruvna Dismissal manages the end-of-day process by letting schools configure their dismissal methods (car line, bus, self-dismiss, after school programs) and assign each student a recurring weekly plan. Teachers see how each student is leaving that day, car line and bus staff verify authorized pickups and release students, and administrators track progress in real time through a live dashboard. Every action — including pickup verification — is logged with a full audit trail.

Can Ruvna Dismissal handle multi-step dismissals, like after school activities followed by a car pickup?

Yes, Ruvna Dismissal supports multi-step dismissal plans where a student transitions from one activity to another before their final departure. For example, if a student goes to Drama Club and then gets picked up in the 4:00 PM car line, staff can track that student through each stage — from classroom to activity to pickup. Each step can have its own timeslot, location, and method.

What happens if there's an emergency during dismissal?

Ruvna Dismissal tracks every student's status in real time, so administrators always know which students are still on campus, which are mid-process (at an after school activity, waiting in the car line), and which have already been safely dismissed. For schools that also use Ruvna Accountability, this data integrates directly into your emergency response workflow — connecting dismissal status with panic alerts, staff notifications, and reunification procedures automatically.

What devices do staff need to use Ruvna Dismissal?

Any device that connects to the internet. Phones, tablets, or laptops all work, including the devices your staff already carry during dismissal. There is no special hardware to purchase. The interface is mobile-friendly and designed for outdoor use, so car line and bus staff can work from wherever they're stationed.

Is there a parent-facing portal for Ruvna Dismissal?

Not currently. A parent portal is a priority. It will give families a direct way to submit plan changes and receive dismissal confirmations. Schools can also use Ruvna Announcements to communicate dismissal-related updates to parents in the meantime.

Announcements

Send mass notifications to parents, teachers, and students in seconds.

Can I record my own voice for phone call messages?

Yes! When drafting an Announcement which includes phone calls, you can choose to record your own call audio.

Can I use computer-generated speech for phone call messages?

Yes! When drafting an Announcement which includes phone calls, you can use text-to-speech synthesis to create the call message. During the initial setup process, you'll work with Ruvna's engineers to make sure the text-to-speech engine pronounces your school's/district's name properly.

How do parents, students, and staff sync into Ruvna?

Ruvna integrates directly with your Student Information System (SIS) to sync parent, student, and staff data. Ruvna is also compatible with Clever, ClassLink, and OneRoster.

Do parents have to opt-in in order to receive Announcements?

Unlike many other platforms, in most cases, Ruvna does not require parents to go through an additional opt-in process to begin receiving Announcements. However, you are required to have received consent from parents to send them text messages.

Who has the ability to send Announcements?

You can give any staff member in your school/district the authority to send Announcements.

Does Ruvna support DKIM/SPF?

Yes! Our team will work with you to properly setup DKIM/SPF verification prior to Ruvna sending any emails on behalf of your school's domain. If DKIM/SPF verification is not possible, you can send Announcements from a Ruvna email address with a custom "reply-to" property.

Visitor Management

Enhance campus security with streamlined visitor access.

Is Visitor Management really free?

Yes, VM is now included at no extra cost for all schools with an Accountability subscription.

Can I use Visitor Management as a standalone product?

No, VM is designed to work seamlessly with our Accountability system for enhanced safety and efficiency.

How does VM integration benefit my school?

The integration provides real-time visitor tracking during emergencies, comprehensive logs, and improved communication capabilities, all while respecting your school's unique culture.

What support do you offer during implementation?

Our team provides full support and training to ensure a smooth transition and effective use of the system.

Which printer/printers are supported for badge printing?

Badge printing in Ruvna Visitor Management is compatible with the Dymo LabelWriter 450 and Dymo LabelWriter 550, and is available via the browser.

What are the hardware requirements for self-serve visitor kiosks?

An iPad running iPadOS 15 or later with the latest version of the Ruvna Kiosk app installed.

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