Parents at Lennard High, East Bay High, Apollo Beach K-8 and every other Hillsborough County public school can now complete all required back-to-school forms from a phone, tablet or computer. No paper packets. No first-day-of-school scramble.
Hillsborough County Public Schools announced July 28 that the district's Focus Parent Portal is open for families to submit every required acknowledgment and permission form for the 2026-27 school year electronically. The first day of school is Aug. 10, and the district is asking families to finish the forms before then.
The shift eliminates the stacks of printed forms that parents have filled out by hand in previous years. According to the district's July 28 announcement, the digital process reduces errors, lets schools process information faster and gives families the flexibility to complete everything on their own schedule.
What the portal does
Beyond forms, the Focus Parent Portal lets families view report cards, check attendance, see bus routes and confirm graduation status. Student schedules will become viewable Aug. 4.
New students can also be registered through the portal.
Families with existing accounts can log in at hcps.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/parents/. Those who need to create an account can visit HillsboroughSchools.org/Focus. The district also encourages families to download the HCPS Focus Portal App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Apollo Beach K-8 adds eighth grade
Families at Apollo Beach Elementary, now operating as Apollo Beach K-8, will use the same portal as they welcome the school's first eighth-grade class. The School Board approved the K-8 expansion on May 7, 2024, phasing in one grade per year. The 2026-27 school year completes that rollout with the addition of eighth grade.
Need help?
Anyone locked out of their account or having trouble logging in can call the HCPS Customer Service Help Desk at 813-744-6673 or email [email protected].
The district has not stated a hard deadline or penalty for completing forms after Aug. 10, but schools will process information faster when families submit early. Student schedules go live on the portal Aug. 4.
