Find the families
in your child's community.

Carpool.School is always free for families. When a school or other organization claims and verifies its community, the organization pays the subscription. Parent-led communities remain free for everyone.

A community must exist before you can join it. Your school, PTA, or another parent can start one. If yours isn't listed yet, ask an organizer - or start it yourself.

You join Carpool.School through your community. There are two paths:

• From your school or org - if your school has a Verified community, you'll receive a personal invite link by email once they upload their roster. Open it, verify your phone, and create your profile.
• From another parent - if a parent in your community has already started it, they can share an invite link with you. Some parent-led communities are open enrollment, meaning any family at the school can join without a link.

Parent-led communities are intended for families connected to that school, daycare, team, camp, or activity. Members can see who has joined and who invited them. Verified communities add an official roster check - families must match the organization's roster before joining, and the organization can remove anyone who does not belong.

Verified communities are claimed by the school, daycare, team, camp, or other organization. Families are matched against the organization's official roster before joining, and the organization can manage membership through its admin portal.

After creating a carpool request, potential matches appear in map view (nearby families) and table view (browsable list). Send a direct message to any family, join activity-based groups, or create a private group for a dedicated carpool circle.

Create a request by telling other families when and where you need help with transportation. Nearby families can discover your request, contact you directly, and decide whether a carpool makes sense. Requests can be updated or removed at any time.

No. Setting up a request makes it possible for families to find you, but carpools only form when families choose to coordinate together. Many families use the app simply to discover nearby families before deciding whether to carpool.

No. Carpool.School is always opt-in. Families who prefer not to participate simply don't create an account. Registered families can pause their carpool requests or delete their account anytime from app settings.

If your school has enabled dismissal management, the app coordinates pickups with staff:

• Set pickup plans - choose who is picking up your child and when.
• Announce arrival - share your location or tap to let the school know you've arrived.
• Verification - staff confirm your identity before releasing your child.
• Last-minute changes - update plans instantly; the school sees it immediately.

No. Carpool.School never displays exact home addresses to other families. Families can choose to share an approximate location to help identify nearby carpool opportunities. Exact addresses remain private unless you decide to share them directly with another family.

• Community-scoped visibility - only members of your community can see your profile.
• No exact addresses - other families never see your exact home address.
• Your data is never sold. See our Privacy Policy for details.
• You control connections - you decide which families you message and coordinate with.

No. Carpool.School is a connection platform, not a vetting service. Parents are responsible for independently vetting anyone they choose to carpool with - just as you would with any informal carpool arrangement.

You do. The app suggests matches based on proximity, grade, and pickup window. You choose who to ride with. There are no auto-assignments, and you can leave any pool anytime.

Carpool.School helps families find each other and coordinate rides, but families decide who they ride with and are responsible for their own carpool arrangements. Carpool.School is not a transportation provider. See our Terms of Use and EULA for full details.

A few practices we recommend before starting any carpool:

• Meet new carpool partners in person before the first ride.
• Confirm driving history, insurance, and vehicle condition.
• Exchange emergency contact information before the first ride.
• Prefer carpools where the driver has their own child in the vehicle.
• Only form carpools with families you feel completely comfortable with.
• Trust your instincts - you are never obligated to participate.

Nothing is lost. If your school claims and verifies its community, existing families keep their accounts, connections, conversations, and carpool arrangements. The community simply gains additional features, including roster verification, organization oversight, and administrative tools.

Yes. A community can represent any group of families that regularly coordinate transportation together, including schools, daycares, camps, sports teams, clubs, classes, and other activities.

Yes. If your children attend different schools that both use Carpool.School, add multiple schools to a single account and switch between networks from the same app.

Yes. You can leave a community at any time. You may also request deletion of your account and personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Once removed, your profile and information are no longer visible to other members of that community.

Available as a native app on iOS and Android. You can also sign up on the web at app.dev.carpool.school, but the full experience - push notifications, real-time location, and ride coordination - requires the mobile app.