Sunset District School Named “Poolest School” in San Francisco

On Wednesday, May 29, Jefferson Elementary School was named “Poolest School” in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) for its commitment to sustainable transportation. The award was presented by the San Francisco Department of the Environment as part of the Ready, Set, SchoolPool campaign. The department’s school mascot Phoebe the Phoenix made a surprise appearance at the morning ceremony to congratulate school staff, teachers, parents and students for their hard work. 

“What an honor to be given the ‘Poolest School’ in SFUSD!” said Principal Cranna of Jefferson Elementary. “Working together with students, their families and staff, we know we are raising good stewards of our planet.” 

“I am proud of the hard-working students, dedicated parents and school administration at Jefferson Elementary for being recognized for greening their school commutes,” said Supervisor Katy Tang, who represents the Sunset neighborhood. “Their efforts show that when we work together, we can get to know our neighbors, have fun and help the planet at the same time.”

From March 1st to April 30th, SFUSD schools participated in the Ready, Set, SchoolPool campaign, which encourages families to walk, bike, take transit or carpool to school. During the campaign, Jefferson Elementary saw the greatest increase in parent participation in SchoolPool among participating schools. Parents used SchoolPool to facilitate the growth of their monthly walking school bus. 

In addition to Jefferson’s win as the “Poolest School,” nine SFUSD families also won prizes for their participation during the campaign. Prizes were generously sponsored by Alcatraz Cruises, California Academy of Sciences, the Exploratorium, Green Apple Books, and the House of Air Trampoline Park. A family at Fairmount Elementary logged the greenest number of trips to school and won the grand prize – a trip to the San Francisco Zoo to be zookeepers for a day.

Over 500 families are currently registered in SchoolPool across 65 SFUSD schools. The Ready, Set, SchoolPool campaign helped increase registrations throughout the District by almost 30% and generated discussion and awareness about how families are getting to school.

“Many people at our school already walk to school, and we have a strong culture of eco-awareness,” said Emma Smith, a parent of a 2nd grader at Jefferson. “Nonetheless, it's easy to become complacent, and we need constant reminders of the importance of walking, carpooling and building community, as well as discussions of traffic problems, pollution and other sustainability issues.”