Ferndale Public Schools launches carpool app to help reduce chronic absenteeism
Ferndale Public Schools is launching a new carpooling app designed to help families get students to and from school, part of the district's effort to reduce chronic absenteeism at University High School.
District leaders say transportation remains one of the biggest non-academic barriers preventing some students from attending school consistently.
"We need our kids sitting in our classrooms," said Margaret Schultz, assistant principal at University High School.
To help address that barrier, the district is launching GoKid, a secure, school-managed platform that allows parents to coordinate carpools with other University High School families. After downloading the app, families can connect with other approved users to arrange shared rides to and from school.
"It kind of is twofold. It helps our culture, but also really hopefully helps kids be able to get to school," Schultz said.
The need is significant. According to the Michigan Department of Education, 27.9% of students statewide were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year. At University High School, that figure was 80.5%, nearly three times the statewide average.
Superintendent Camille Hibbler said the app is another way the district is working to remove barriers that keep students out of the classroom.
"This is just another layer to be able to provide support. So, no barriers," Hibbler said.
The district does provide bus transportation, but Hibbler said those routes are already at capacity. Because University High School is a part of the Schools of Choice program, many students live outside Ferndale and travel longer distances to get to class.
"They want to be here, and they want to be successful, and they have plans to be here every single day, but life," Hibbler said.
District leaders hope that reducing transportation challenges will improve attendance while easing the burden on families.
"Our hope is that by taking just one thing off of our families, it'll make a huge impact in multiple ways," Hibbler said.
The GoKid app is scheduled to launch before the start of the new school year. District leaders say it is one of several strategies aimed at increasing student engagement and improving attendance.
