parents & students
When students and families walk, bike, or carpool to school, everyone wins. Schools are a major commute destination as students, parents, and teachers travel to school campuses, contributing to neighborhood congestion and air pollution. Often, parents responsible for dropping kids off at school do not have the flexibility to try a smart commute to work themselves, such as a carpool, vanpool, or bus commute. Think outside of the box – try a School Pool!
Students
Students who walk and bike to school build healthy habits, get daily exercise, clear their minds before class, and have opportunities to socialize with friends
Parents
Parents save time, money, and stress when sharing the responsibility of getting kids to school and have flexibility to explore a smart commute themselves
Communities
When parents and students share a ride, walk, or bike, the community experiences less traffic congestion and air pollution around schools
What is a School Pool?
A School Pool is a way of sharing the responsibility of getting children to and from school. It allows flexibility within schedules by connecting parents and students with carpool buddies, or with walking or biking “school busses” (where a parent and a group of students, or a group of older students together, walk or bike to school together). Visit the Treasure Valley Safe Routes to School program to learn more about the benefits of school pools.
Get Started
Want more information about School Pools? Want ACHD Commuteride’s help to start a free online School Pool network to find other interested families at your school? Fill out the following form to tell us more!
Teacher Resources
Learn about commute options for educators and check out our free transportation-based lesson plans for you to use in your classroom created by an Idaho teacher! They are Idaho standards-aligned and correlate to both state-mandated learning and soft skills that students need to succeed in STEM fields and careers.