Student Transportation
DoDEA Student Transportation
The mission of the DoDEA Student Transportation Program is to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation for students to and from school and school related activities, and to support instructional programs by delivering students safely, on time, and with a mind set for learning.
School bus transportation is an important facet of the educational experience. The school bus is the first and last thing many of our students experience and it shapes how their day begins and ends. The following information will help your student get the most of out of their school bus experience.
Our agency is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of all students attending DoDEA Schools. The school districts are committed in providing their community schools with safe and efficient transportation for students to and from school and school related activities. Assistance will be given in the areas of driver training, funding, equipment specifications and purchases, interpretation of laws and regulations, and routing.
We are committed to provide professional services to ensure the quality of service expected by the military services. Every effort will be made to keep our services in the forefront of the quality, safety and efficiency expected.
School Transportation - Inclement Weather
This applies to:
Modification date
This policy is under review
As winter is closely approaching, our children's safety on the school bus is dependent not just on the driver but also on other motorists as well. The following winter safety advice is provided by the Wiesbaden School Transportation office to students and parents.
Students & Parents
Take your time to board the bus. Rushing to catch the bus or driving quicker to get to your destination might have disastrous consequences when roads and sidewalks are icy. It takes children longer to get to the bus stop when it's windy, chilly, or snowy outside. Reducing the number of falls on slick pavements can be achieved by leaving a few minutes early and taking your time.
Students need to keep warm at the bus stop, but they also must still be able to see and hear what's going on around them. When bundling up your child in the morning, make sure he or she still has an adequate line of sight and can hear traffic and other noises. And make sure your child can put his/her arms down.
Put your phone away. Neglecting to look where you are walking can lead to very serious outcomes. When walking in snow or an ice-covered terrain, stay mindful of your surroundings and walk at a slower pace.
Grab hold of something. Put on shoes that are suitable for the weather. Steer clear of shoes with slick no-tread soles when venturing onto damp, snow-covered, or icy terrains.
Please be patient. Although school bus drivers are highly skilled at driving in bad weather, even the most skilled drivers can become slower on snowy or icy roads. Every driver's first concern is safety, and it could take longer to go from stop to stop.
We often take the easy act of getting onto and departing from the bus for granted. Use those handrails!
Lastly, pay attention to school announcements and weather alerts. Even though mornings can be hectic, parents need to be informed of weather alerts and cancellations or delays of schools. Inclement weather may also cause bus routes to modify or early dismissals. To receive late-breaking alerts, make sure your school has the correct contact information on file. Please listen out for notifications from AFN RADIO and TV, IMCOM-EUROPE ROAD CONDITIONS website, located at https://home.army.mil/roads/ to find out when hazardous weather is predicted.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Wiesbaden School Transportation Office with any questions.
General Transportation Guidance
School bus transportation is an important facet of the educational experience. The school bus is the first and last thing many of our students experience and it shapes how their day begins and ends. The following information will help your student get the most of out of their school bus experience.
DoDEA Administrative Instruction 4500.02 - Student Transportation Services
Students are responsible for:
Complying with the behavior standards for school bus students and with the general behavior standards. Obeying the instructions of bus drivers, DoDEA personnel, and military officials. Attending and completing school bus safety training sessions when offered by the school or military installation.
Other Transportation Info
Walking Distances
The walking distance for grades 5 and below will not normally exceed 1 mile from their primary residence to the school or designated bus stop. Students in grades 6-12 may walk up to 1.5 miles from their primary residence to the school or designated bus stop. These distances may be slightly expanded or contracted to conform to natural boundaries such as housing or neighborhoods.
Student Transportation / Daily Commutes
This is defined as the transportation of students from their assigned bus stop to school at the beginning of their school day, mid-day, and the return to their assigned bus stop at the end of the normal scheduled school day. Maps illustrating bus stops and commuting zones are available at the base housing office and the STO office.
Only one trip to and from school per day is authorized for each student.
Transportation is not authorized to take students to their homes or to eating facilities for their mid-day meal.
Only students attending DoDEA schools, bus drivers, dispatchers, STO personnel, assigned safety/security attendants, community bus monitors, and security personnel assigned by the installation commander are authorized to ride daily commuting services. Additional authorized passengers are U.S. Military Police and host nation police while in the performance of their official duties, and persons authorized in writing by the DoDEA Principal or his or her designee, the contracting officer, or the student transportation office.
Other Student Transportation Authorizations
Daily round trip transportation may be provided to students residing outside the commuting area but are transported at their own expense to an existing school bus stop within the commuting area.
Non-federally connected, space-available, tuition-paying students may be permitted to utilize school bus commuting services on a space-available basis. Even though space-available service may be initially provided, it may be withdrawn at any time.
Off Base Transportation Availability
Transportation is available for many off base housing areas around installations with schools, however before signing a lease for an off base house please check with the STO to ensure transportation is available in that area for the school you plan your child to attend. If a family accepts housing outside of the approved commuting zone for a school then the parents relinquish their student(s)' space required eligibility for bus transportation.
A map and/or narrative description is used to identify the commuting area for each school is available at each STO.
Lost Items
If your child leaves something on the bus please call your local STO. All buses are checked for items left by the students after each trip. Items not claimed in a reasonable amount of time will be appropriately disposed.
Please go to your local STO to replace a lost school bus pass.
