Registration Data

The student must be registered in the school before they can register for or be issued a School Bus Pass. This data is used not only for registration purposes but also in case of emergencies, such as bus breakdowns, accidents and/or incidents.  So please, if you move, get a phone/new phone number, change units or offices, etc., notify your school registrar’s office and the School Bus Office (SBO) so that we can update your records. Your child must also pre-register at the school if bus service is to be continued during the next school year.

Bus Passes

ALL students riding school buses will be issued a bus pass by the School Bus Office. Only those students with passes will be authorized to ride school buses. Passes must be carried by the student at all times and will be checked by the bus driver upon entry. Students must present their bus pass upon request by other school administrative staff as required. Students will ride only the bus they are assigned to ride. Under special circumstances (individual basis) children may ride another bus with written permission from parents and prior approval from the SBO. Any child not in possession of a bus pass will be reported to the Schools Officer and/or the School Bus Office. Repeated offenses of not having a bus pass in their possession can result in discipline action. Lost bus passes will be reissued by the SBO; however, repeated loss of bus passes can result in discipline action.

Bus Routes

Bus routes are established within the commuting area for transporting space-required students to and from school. Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) officials, after consultation with the Installation or Community Commander, shall establish a commuting area for each primary and secondary school. The commuting area will be based on the availability of adequate housing within the proximity of the school. Sponsors who obtain housing outside of the established routes (commuting zone) are responsible for getting their children to the nearest pickup point. Approval and changes to routes will only be made by the SBO. Commuting zone information is provided to the housing referral office and is also available in the SBO. Housing offices also provide this information during newcomer orientation/in-processing.

Pickup/Drop-off

The student school bus pass identifies sponsor information, the bus route, and pickup and drop-off locations. Bus contractors are only allowed to use designated pickup and drop-off points. The designated schedule will be adhered to and buses will not deviate from their assigned routes and stops. Normally pickup points are centralized within towns or villages; therefore, some students may be required to walk to the nearest pickup point. The acceptable walking distance for Grades K-6 is up to 1 mile. Grades 7-12 can walk up to 1.5 miles. Pickup and drop-off points have been established to keep walking to a minimum and are determined to be the easiest access route for the students as well as for the bus. If your child(ren) are in grades K-2, please ensure that a responsible adult is at the bus stop to meet them. Bus drivers have been instructed to return kindergarten children to the SBO if an adult is not at the bus stop to meet the child being dropped off.

Buses – Late Arrival

Sometimes through breakdown or traffic delays, the buses may arrive late at their pickup points. In most cases it takes some time to get this information to the SBO. As a general rule, we advise students to stay at the pickup point for at least 20-30 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. A bus WILL run, but we cannot be certain how long it will take the contractor to respond. During inclement weather, or in case of a 2 hour delay in school opening, the bus will run as scheduled, just 2 hours later.

Special Education Transportation

When it has been determined that a child requires Special Education Transportation (by Case Study Committee, and stated on the IEP), the SBO will arrange for this service. If a special education student will not be attending school, please notify the SBO the day before, if possible. Late notification means transportation services cannot be cancelled and expenses are incurred. Make certain to contact the SBO; the Transportation Company is allowed to accept instructions only from the SBO.

Parents as Riders

We encourage parental participation in our schools and on our school buses, and welcome your presence as a volunteer bus monitor. However, for the safety of all children, parents are required to have permission from the SBO and complete a local certification course before they can ride their child’s bus to and from school.

After-School Activity Bus

Middle/High school students participating in extra-curricular activities are authorized to ride the activity bus. Activity bus routes are planned to only cover a limited number of central locations or principal housing areas.