When students and families walk, bike or carpool to class, everyone wins. Kids learn healthy habits early, plus fewer cars at drop-off and pickup locations alleviate roadway congestion for all travelers. Keep reading to learn how easy it is to adopt a safe and sustainable school commute.
About Bellevue SchoolPool
Bellevue SchoolPool, a collaboration between City of Bellevue, King County Metro and Bellevue School District, is a program that encourages families and students to explore sustainable transportation options for their commute to and from school in order to alleviate congestion at drop-off and pickup times and zones around schools.
Sign up for our fun and informative SchoolPool newsletter by clicking on the emoji!
How SchoolPool Works
The Bellevue SchoolPool program is split into two sections – one for elementary schools, and one for middle and middle/high choice schools.
The SchoolPool team assists Partner schools with running two month-long challenges during the school year – one in the fall and one in the spring.
The SchoolPool team also assists all schools, including non-partner and private schools, interested in helping parents find carpools, walk pools ("walking school buses"), bike pools ("bike trains"), and bus buddies for school buses or public transit.
How to Become a SchoolPool Partner School
The program is open to all elementary, middle and middle/high choice schools in the Bellevue School District. For a school to become a SchoolPool Partner school, the principal must submit a SchoolPool Partner sign-up application to BellevueSchoolPool@bellevuewa.gov
Applications are accepted annually.
SchoolPool During COVID-19
Due to COVID-19, the Fall 2021 SchoolPool Challenge was canceled. Instead, the SchoolPool team coordinated Walk to School Day on October 6, which was open to all elementary, middle, and middle/high choice schools. A whopping 16 schools chose to celebrate Walk to School Day this year, a very big turnout!
All schools that celebrated Walk to School Day received promotional materials, student incentives, and up to $1,000 in qualified school incentives, such as:
- Crossing guard equipment
- Stop signs
- Traffic cones
- Fold up signs
- Message boards
- Snap-on cone signs
- Megaphones
- Traffic wands
- Whistles
- Lanyards
- Armbands, etc.
Stay tuned for news on the next SchoolPool challenge! Meanwhile, enjoy playing Walk & Roll BINGO by completing five squares in a row, column, or diagonal. Please be sure first to check in with a parent or guardian.
To download the Walk & Roll BINGO cards, click on the links below.
To request a hard copy of the Bingo Card, email us at bellevueschoolpool@bellevuewa.gov
Elementary Schools:
Middle and Middle/High Choice Schools:
School Attendance Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Maps
This is a great time to test out your walk or bike route to school! Go to our Interactive Routes to School Map and click on your school to find printable maps of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in your school’s attendance area.
Email us at BellevueSchoolPool@bellevuewa.gov to receive a hard copy of a map.
Resources for Schools and Families
- If you are a school interested in receiving assistance with setting up a network on Rideshare Online, contact us at BellevueSchoolPool@bellevuewa.gov.
- We also encourage you to try out Pogo Rides, an easy-to-use smartphone app that matches you with other parents looking to carpool.
- Check out our info sheets on Walking School Bus, Bike Train, and Carpooling.
- If you need help or information about King County Metro Transit or Sound Transit buses for your school, contact us at BellevueSchoolPool@bellevuewa.gov.
SchoolPool Blog Posts
Coming Soon
To submit a SchoolPool blog post, please email it to BellevueSchoolPool@bellevuewa.gov.
Additional Resources
- Safe Routes to School Programs - US DOT
- Safe Routes to School - Federal Highway Administration - US DOT
- Safe Routes to School National Partnership
- National Center for Safe Routes to School
- Safe Routes to School - WSDOT
- Safe Routes to School – CDC
- SchoolPool and Safe Routes to School - King County Metro
- Walk and Bike to School
- Safe Routes to School Guide
- Kids Walk-to-School
- Walk to School Day SchoolPool Incentives
- SchoolPool BINGO Cards - English
- SchoolPool BINGO Cards - Spanish
- SchoolPool BINGO Cards - Chinese
- SchoolPool BINGO Cards - Russian
- Pedestrian Map Example
- Bike Map Example