Every morning and afternoon, hundreds of students come and go during the ‘rush minutes’ at PAUSD campuses.  No matter how your child gets to school, you can help keep them stay safe by taking the time to review and practice the basics for getting there safely.

Walking & Rolling

Walking or rolling to school gives children a sense of freedom and responsibility, allows them to enjoy the fresh air, and familiarizes them with their neighborhood while getting them to school alert, refreshed, and ready to start their day. The Walking & Rolling page provides several safety tips, including how to fit a helmet.

Transit

Palo Alto is served by a number of public transportation options.  These include the VTA, SamTrans, and limited PAUSD Bus Service. Not every destination is served by transit, but the resources on the Transit page can help to see whether this will work for your family.

Carpooling

At most PAUSD schools, traffic congestion and safety hazards are the result of too many parents dropping off and picking up their children from school by car.  Sometimes families find themselves not able to walk or bike to school.  They live too far away from school, or they have to cross a dangerous intersection. Carpooling (or SchoolPooling) is a great way to help reduce grid-lock and stress associated with getting to and from school.

Driving

If you have to drive to school, please consider that children walking or biking to school help reduce traffic congestion – give them a brake and use extra caution. Driving safety tips and information about car seats can be found on the Driving page.