Get Your Kids Safely to School – in Half the Time!
Between traffic congestion, road construction, and long pick up and drop off lines, school pickup and drop-off can be a big hassle.
SchoolPool from Movability is a grant program that will let parents and caregivers connect and coordinate school-specific carpool networks to share the responsibility of getting kids safely to and from school and to afterschool events.
Applications for SchoolPool grant funding are open from March 5 to April 16 and are open to schools in Central Texas (Bastrop, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties).
Our online and mobile platforms make it easy to build your profile, perform background checks on all drivers, and start connecting with other families. Parents and caregivers can choose to be a driver or have their child(ren) participate.
- Families will save time, gas, and vehicle wear and tear by creating carpool networks.
- Schools benefit by reducing the number of individual vehicles traveling to and through drop-off and pickup lines - which saves time and improves safety.
- Fewer idling vehicles also means children are breathing cleaner air.
Getting Started
Movability will pilot the SchoolPool program beginning the 2024-25 school year, with grant opportunities to a limited number of schools to help get the program off the ground.
About SchoolPool from Movability
SchoolPool is a grant-based program that leverages online and mobile tools to match parents and caregivers to potential carpool network opportunities. All schools selected to participate in SchoolPool will receive $500 as an incentive to develop a carpool, bikepool, and walkpool program at their school and to cover any initial launch expenses. Every other month, Movability will evaluate SchoolPool participation and offer an additional $100 to each school that has maintained or increased the number of SchoolPools operating on their campus since the last evaluation period, up to $500. The school with the most SchoolPools in operation will be recognized with an end-of-the-year celebration on their campus.
*Movability is targeting private and charter schools that serve grades K-8 for the pilot program, with the possible inclusion of one or two area public schools. Movability is also happy to work with your school community if you are interested in opening up carpooling opportunities to school faculty and staff!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SchoolPool from Movability?
SchoolPool is a pilot grant program from Movability designed to incentivize schools to create robust carpool networks to help transport students safely to and from school each day or to after-school activities.
moreWho can participate in the SchoolPool program?
Any school can participate in the program, including during its pilot period for the 2024-25 school year. Currently, Movability is targeting any pre-K through 12th grade private and charter schools for participation, though one or two public schools could also be allowed to participate.
moreWhat are the benefits of SchoolPool?
Reducing the number of vehicles driving and idling around schools improves air quality, reduces traffic congestion, makes roads safer for students and neighborhoods around school campuses, and reduces the time that families spend in Austin traffic as well as the amount of money they spend on gas and vehicle maintenance.
moreHow does the SchoolPool grant work – what are the financial incentives of the program?
SchoolPool is a grant-based program that leverages online and mobile tools to match parents and caregivers to potential carpool network opportunities. All schools selected to participate in SchoolPool will receive $500 as an incentive to develop a carpool, bikepool, and walkpool program at their school and to cover any initial launch expenses.
Every other month, Movability will evaluate SchoolPool participation and offer an additional $100 to each school that has maintained or increased the number of SchoolPools operating on their campus since the last evaluation period, up to $500.
moreWhat is expected of school PTAs and booster clubs that get SchoolPool funding?
The PTA or booster club would serve as the point of contact between Movability and the school community; for instance, your group might help put together an event on the campus to kick off the program and help families sign up. PTAs can also help spread the word about the program to grow engagement.
moreHow will SchoolPool help ensure that children are being transported safely by a responsible adult?
Completing background checks on adult driver participants will be a core component of the SchoolPool program, and Movability is currently evaluating the mechanisms to perform this task in cooperation with schools and platform providers.
moreHow will carpool matching work, and what do you expect will be some of the key features?
Movability is currently evaluating online and mobile app platforms to help deliver carpool matching capabilities. It’s expected that parents/caregivers will have the ability to:
Match with other parents/caregivers either as drivers or participants in a carpool
Identify and arrange both morning and afternoon (or after school) pick-ups and home drop-offs.
Provide vehicle information and number of available car seats for participating children.
In addition, Movability expects that the SchoolPool program will be able to provide data such as total number of vehicle trips, miles and gas savings and reduction in CO2 emissions.
moreIs SchoolPool open to school administrators or can booster clubs and other organizations apply for the grant?
Booster clubs and similar school support organizations are encouraged to take the lead and apply for a SchoolPool grant on behalf of their school, with support from school administrators.
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