DoD Instruction 5400.17
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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.
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 out of their school bus experience.
DoDEA Administrative Instruction 4500.02 - Student Transportation Services
Implements DoDEA policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides procedures regarding transportation of students during their daily commute to and from school, walking distances, curricular and co-curricular transportation and among other topics, the safety and security of transporting students and faculty.
Sponsor/Parents and/or Guardians are responsible for:
- Ensuring that student family members afforded school bus riding privileges have been advised of, and understand, the school bus behavior management policy, and understand that bus service is a privilege, not a right.
- Ensuring the safety of student family members to, from, and while waiting at the bus stop.
- Ensuring that student family members are at the designated bus pickup point 5 minutes before the bus's scheduled arrival.
- Reporting incidents to the school officials of unsafe or unruly behavior observed on school buses and at school bus stops.
- Providing school officials with timely written notification when a student has a change in his or her normal transportation schedule or plan.
- Getting their student family members to and from school in accordance with school arrival and departure policies if their bus riding privileges are suspended by DoDEA or appropriate military officials.
- Acknowledging that student ridership is contingent upon sponsor/parent/guardian agreement to these responsibilities described in this enclosure.
Students are responsible for:
Complying with the behavior standards for school bus students and with general behavior standards. Obeying the instructions of bus drivers, DoDEA personnel, and military officials, as well as attending and completing school bus safety training sessions when offered by the school community.
Daily Commutes
- This is defined as the transportation of eligible DoDEA students from their assigned bus stop to school at the beginning of their school day, midday, and the return to their assigned bus stop at the end of the normal scheduled school day.
- 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 midday 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.
Walking Distances
The walking distance for Elementary School students will not normally exceed 1 mile from their primary residence to the school or designated bus stop. Middle and High School students 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 areas or neighborhoods.
Note: See military installation “Child Supervisory Guidelines” for guidance and standards for what ages can walk to or from school unattended
Commuting Areas
The school commuting area is defined as a specific geographic area used to determine eligibility for transportation of dependent students to a DoDEA school. Each school will have its own defined commuting area. School bus services will be provided to all authorized students residing outside the walking distance and within the designated commuting area. The commuting area will be based on the availability of housing within the proximity of the school and will not normally exceed 1 hour in commute time.
Assigned Buses
Students are assigned to buses and bus stops. No change in either bus or stop is permitted without the Transportation Director's approval. Failure to ride the assigned bus to/from the assigned bus stop may jeopardize the safety of students and may result in disciplinary action
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 during emergency or displacement situations.
Students with Disabilities Requirements
- Special emphasis will be placed on meeting the transportation needs of students with disabilities. The Case Study Committee must consider the special needs of the individual student, including transporting students in the least restrictive environment, when determining appropriate transportation services for each student with a disability. Special transportation services that are prescribed in a student’s IEP by the Case Study Committee of the receiving school, a Special Education Hearing Officer, or a court must be provided in order to ensure transportation services are available.
- Examples of special services that may be required include, but are not limited to, curb-to-curb transportation between the student’s residence and the school, establishment of a special bus stop within a designated distance of the student’s residence, use of a special safety harness, transportation of a seeing eye or hearing dog, or assignment of a one-on-one attendant, or aide, for physically disabled or physically aggressive students. Curb-to-curb service will not be provided to students who live within the walking area of the school that have a disability that does not prohibit them from walking, or being escorted by the sponsor or guardian, to and from school safely.
- Vehicles used solely to transport students with disabilities will be equipped with a seat belt or child safety restraint system for each passenger, in accordance with federal and State guidelines.
Related Services
A transportation service for students with disabilities may be authorized to designated public or private schools if the DoD schools are unable to meet the curriculum described in the student’s IEP.
Curricular activities
School-sponsored activities are designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in an individual or group basis in public events with other than the typical school environment for enjoyment, motivation, and improvement of skills.
Behavior on DoDEA Buses
Students are responsible for:
- Complying with the behavior standards for school bus students.
- 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.
School Bus Safely
DoDEA school bus transportation is a privilege that may be suspended or revoked. DoDEA will strictly enforce DoDEA school bus rules. DoDEA students failing to comply with DoDEA school bus rules may find their DoDEA bus riding privileges suspended or revoked for the rest of the year. When this happens, unless there are extenuating circumstances related to a DoDEA student’s disability, sponsors/parents/legal guardians assume all responsibility for transporting the DoDEA student(s) to from the DoDEA school. Let us work together to make this school year safe
On and Around DoDEA School Buses, DoDEA Students Will:
- Comply with all school rules with the "Behavior Standards for DoDEA School Bus Students."
- Board and exit the bus in an orderly, safe manner.
- Present DoDEA school bus pass when boarding the DoDEA school bus and upon demand.
- Remain seated while on the DoDEA school bus. If the DoDEA school bus is equipped with seat belts, they must be fastened.
- Talk with other passengers in a normal voice.
- Keep all parts of the body inside the DoDEA school bus windows.
- Keep aisles, steps, and empty seats free from obstruction.
- Remain fully and properly clothed.
- Treat the DoDEA school bus driver and fellow DoDEA students with respect.
- Promptly comply with the DoDEA school bus driver's or bus monitor's instructions.
- Treat the DoDEA school bus and other private property with care.
On and Around DoDEA School Buses, DoDEA Students Will NOT:
- Fight, push, shove, or trip other passengers.
- Use or possess unacceptable items identified in the DoDEA school "Student Handbook."
- Push while boarding, on, or exiting the bus.
- Get on or off the DoDEA school bus while the bus is in motion.
- Make excessive noise or play electronic equipment without earplugs.
- Put objects out of DoDEA school bus windows or hang out of windows.
- Engage in horseplay.
- Obstruct aisles, steps, or seats.
- Engage in public displays of affection or prohibited sexual behaviors.
- Engage in sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other related abusive misconduct.
- Eat, drink, or litter on the DoDEA school bus.*
- Use objectively offensive or abusive language or make obscene gestures.
- Spit or bite.
- Bully, commit discriminatory harassment, or interfere with other DoDEA students.
- Disrespect, distract or interfere with DoDEA school bus driver.
- Damage private property.
- Sit in the DoDEA school bus driver's seat, or touch bus operating devices or equipment.
- Open or try to open DoDEA school bus door.
- Throw or shoot objects inside or out of DoDEA school bus.
- Tamper with bus controls or emergency equipment.
- Violate any other DoDEA school rule, law, or military installation regulation.
* DoDEA students may drink water and eat snacks on any daily commute bus that travels one-way in excess of one (1) hour between the first pickup and drop-off. However, littering on the bus is still prohibited, and DoDEA students are required to take their litter off the DoDEA school bus. Any DoDEA student who litters on the DoDEA school bus shall be disciplined in accordance with Section 7 this Issuance.
Additional Bus Stop Rules
- Be on time (5 minutes before bus schedule time).
- Always walk, NEVER run to or from the bus!
- Stand back from curb (5 giant steps).
- No pushing other students, or "playing chicken" with traffic or the bus.
- Stand in single file line when bus arrives.
- Wait until the bus doors open before approaching the bus.
- If you must cross the street wait until the driver signals you to cross.
- Never crawl under the bus, if you drop something tell the driver.
- Pre-K- 1st grade students must have a parent, babysitter or older sibling with them during morning pickups and afternoon drop-offs.
Transportation Additional Info
Lost Items
If your child leaves something on the bus, please call your local Student Transportation Office (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.
Student Transportation Changes
Transportation changes need to be submitted to District Transportation Representatives and Community Transportation Offices.
Transportation normally will be provided to or from centrally located bus stops in the commuting area. However, when requested by the sponsor, parent, or guardian, transportation may be provided to and from an alternate care provider such as a child development center located within the commuting area and outside of the walking area of your child’s school. Any changes to transportation arrangements will be on a space-available basis and transportation services may be terminated at any time due to seating availability. Changes in transportation service will be held to a minimum and not authorized daily.
