ハワイ州教育省

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HIDOE partners with GoKid to pilot carpooling option for school families

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) is partnering with GoKid, the leading school carpooling company, to launch a carpooling option to help families get students to and from school while easing the impact of bus driver shortages and reducing traffic around campuses. Beginning this summer, families at 14 schools will gain access to GoKid’s carpooling platform as part of a pilot program for the 2025–26 school year.

Between July 27 and 30, families with children attending schools in O‘ahu’s Mililani Complex and Maui’s Kekaulike Complex received an invitation to join GoKid’s secure, school-specific platform. The system enables families to connect with other school families who live nearby and coordinate carpools through GoKid’s web and mobile apps.

This initiative provides families with a practical, community-based solution to reduce their daily transportation burden while helping address limited bus routes. Already operating in 10 states and Canada, GoKid’s expansion to Hawai‘i offers a unique opportunity to assess the impact of a carpooling platform implemented across school complexes (a high school and its feeder elementary and middle schools). Traditional school bus services will continue to operate as normal, with GoKid offered as a supplement to existing transportation options.

“With attendance being a top priority for our schools, this pilot gives families a simple, flexible way to work together on getting students to school,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “By partnering with GoKid, we’re supporting families without access to bus service and helping ease traffic and congestion around our campuses.”

The program recognizes that parents often make multiple daily trips to accommodate drop-offs, pick-ups, and after-school activities. GoKid makes it easier for families to share that responsibility, saving time and strengthening neighborhood connections. By tracking CO₂ reductions and miles saved, the initiative also supports Hawai‘i’s statewide sustainability goals.

Key Features and Benefits:

  • Supports Areas with Limited Bus Routes: Offers families a reliable alternative when school bus service is unavailable.
  • Reduces Parent Driving Time: Helps families share the daily transportation load, cutting down on hours spent commuting and lowering fuel costs.
  • Easy to Use: Families in the Mililani and Kekaulike Complex Areas will receive an invitation email from GoKid the week of July 28 with step-by-step instructions to opt in, find nearby families, and organize carpools.
  • Free Premium Access: Participating families will receive complimentary access to GoKid’s premium features (a $50/year value), including ride scheduling, reminders, GPS, and real-time trip tracking.
  • Community-Building: The program strengthens neighborhood connections among parents and students.
  • Voluntary Participation: Families must opt in to appear on the platform and may opt out at any time.

“We’re impressed with the leadership at HIDOE for their vision to bring innovative solutions like ours to families,” said Stefanie Lemcke, GoKid Founder & CEO. “We’ve seen how communities thrive when families are empowered to work together on school transportation, and we’re excited to help families in Hawai‘i reclaim time while building stronger connections.”

Participating schools will communicate more information to families.

よくある質問

What is GoKid?

Founded in 2016, GoKid is a secure carpooling platform built to make parent carpooling easier, with over 1.5 million carpool trips scheduled. GoKid Connect is a school carpooling platform built specifically for school communities and operating in 11 states and Canada.

What is HIDOE’s GoKid pilot program?

The HIDOE is partnering with GoKid to launch a pilot carpooling program at 14 public schools during the 2025–26 school year. The program helps families connect with nearby school families to share rides, easing the burden of daily transportation, reducing traffic, and addressing bus driver shortages.

Which schools are participating in the pilot?

The pilot program includes 14 schools across two complexes: Mililani Complex and Kekaulike Complex.

When does the program start?

GoKid invitations were sent to families at participating schools between July 28-30, depending on the school.

How did the program come about?

Recognizing that the nationwide school bus driver shortage would continue to impact some HIDOE families, the Department began exploring GoKid’s school carpooling platform in early 2024 as a potential resource for families with limited or unavailable bus service. The pilot follows a careful vetting and implementation process.

How do parents join the program?

Families at participating schools received an Invitation Email from GoKid with easy, step-by-step instructions to opt-in and start connecting with other school families who live near them and who have opted in. These families can also sign up from the GoKid website at www.gokid.mobi.

Is participation required?

No, participation is completely voluntary. In fact, families need to first register and opt in before they can participate.

What if a family joins and wants to opt out later?

Families can opt out of the program at any time. Participation is completely voluntary.

How does GoKid help me find other families?

GoKid allows families to see other opted-in families from their school who live nearby. You can message others, send or receive carpool invites, and schedule rides through GoKid’s web and mobile apps.

Is GoKid a rideshare app?

No, GoKid is not a rideshare app. It is a secure, parent-to-parent platform that enables families to connect and organize traditional carpools—just as they would normally, but with GoKid giving them a broader view of school families who live nearby.

Is GoKid safe?

GoKid is a private, school-specific platform. Only families from the school who have opted in can participate. Each carpool is arranged by parents directly, one-on-one. Safety features include live trip monitoring.

Will I be matched with other families?

No. GoKid does not assign or match families. Just like with traditional carpooling, parents are in full control. You decide who to carpool with and coordinate all details directly with those families.

Will my child be driving with strangers?

No. GoKid is not a rideshare service. It helps parents arrange carpools among families within your school community—not with anonymous or assigned drivers. Parents can message other families, arrange to meet, and build trust before deciding whether to form a carpool. You should only carpool with families you know and feel comfortable with.

Who can see my information?

Only other families at your child’s school who have opted in can view your name and your student’s name and grade. Emails, phone numbers, and addresses are not shared unless both families choose to carpool together and they create a carpool on the GoKid app.

Does this replace school bus service?

No. GoKid does not replace school buses. It’s an optional solution for families who need transportation support where buses are not available or prefer to share the drive.

Will the program expand to other schools?

This pilot includes 14 public schools. HIDOE will evaluate the results and consider expansion based on outcomes.