ScholarChip, a smart ID card solutions provider for K-12 schools, has launched ScholarConnect, a new mobile app that enables parents to track their student's attendance, tardies and meal purchases from any mobile device.

ScholarConnect also enables parents to monitor and add funds to students' cafeteria accounts directly from a checking or savings account, debit or credit cards. For students, using the company's smart ID card ensures student confidentiality and enables tap-to-pay capabilities. This anonymity is also crucial because no one knows which students receive free or reduced priced meals when going through the lunch line.

"ScholarConnect lets parents monitor their children's attendance and eating habits, which helps kids stay on track," says Maged Atiya, PhD, ScholarChip CEO/CTO. "And many children on free lunch programs are judged or bullied by their peers. With a smart ID card that processes purchases, no one can tell if you're receiving free or reduced lunch rates, so there's no shame in the cafeteria line, and no opportunity for bullying."

Prior to the mobile app, parents and guardians could only view this information via a web browser, but the introduction of a mobile app both brings the system in line with mobile trends, but also makes accessing the data easy and faster for parents on-the-go. Fromt he app, parents can access details like:

• Attendance - shows student as present, absent, cut class, is late, or suspended.
• Meals - what food the student is selecting and the amount paid for each item.
• Cafeteria - what the current balance for each student's account is and when to add funds.

The app can also be configured by parents to control how they receive attendance information by enabling specific notifications to be sent to their email addresses or cell phone numbers. Students, meanwhile, use their ScholarChip One Card throughout the school day for tasks such as attendance and cafeteria purchases. The resulting data is then made available to parents and administrators in real-time with reporting capabilities.

The ScholarConnect app will be available for download from both the App Store and Google Play Store in the fourth quarter of 2016.