| It's
Different In Europe |
Safety |
Behavior |
Eligibility
for Transportation |
School Bus Registration |
It's
Different In Europe
Transportation to DoD schools in Europe is a
lot like that in the United States, but with key operations and safety
differences:
DoDDS-E does not own buses or employ drivers, but mainly contracts
with host-nation commercial companies for transportation services.
In a few communities, the military provides school bus service.
Buses are not the yellow vehicles familiar to American children,
but European-style tour or transit coaches marked with the international
school bus sign, front and back.
Drivers are not required to speak English, only the host-nation
language. Buses are equipped with two-way communications, either
radio or cellular telephone, linking drivers to the contractor's
central control station.
Drivers are not responsible for enforcing good order and discipline
on the bus. Their job is to operate the bus safely. Drivers will
report infractions of the bus rules. Parents are responsible for
their children's behavior on the bus.
Because even one child's misbehavior can interfere with safe operation
of the bus and endanger everyone on board, disciplinary action on
reported infractions may be taken, to include temporary suspension
or permanent revocation from riding the bus. School transportation
is a privilege, not a right or entitlement, and safety is paramount.
Local school bus operations are the responsibility of each DoDDS-E
district. Each district has a District Transportation Supervisor
who oversees the School Bus Office or “SBO” servicing
each community. For operational questions, please contact your servicing
SBO first. If there is no local SBO (as in Turkey, where the military
operates the school busing), contact the District Transportation
Supervisor. Phone numbers and email links are found under “Local
School Transporters.
NEW
What Parents
in Europe Need to Know (1.72 Mb pdf file)
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Behavior
Parents must
ensure that their children understand and follow the 10 School
Bus rules listed below:
1) Obey
the driver or adult.
2) Enter and exit the bus safely, and always show your bus pass.
3) Stay properly seated and use seatbelts when available.
4) Keep your hands, feet and other body parts to yourself.
5) Do not throw things.
6) Put nothing out of the window.
7) Remain quiet, and do not disturb the driver or others.
8) No profanity, indecency, smoking, prohibited items, or vandalism.
9) Do not eat, drink, or chew gum.
10) Be responsible, be safe.
In Europe,
school bus student behavior and discipline are administered under
a DoDDS-E TEST revision to Enclosure 7 of DoDEA Regulation 2051.1,
Disciplinary Rules and Procedures:
DoDDS-E Student School Bus Behavior Management Policy (130
Kb pdf)
There is
a direct cause and effect relationship between behavior and safety
on the bus, as described in the article below:
Bus
Behavior Article: An Unruly Bus is an Unsafe Bus (64
kb pdf)
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Eligibility
for Transportation
It's All About Location!
The location of the family quarters, not the sponsor's
place of duty or work, determines which school children attend
and their eligibility for transportation.
Distance from the residence to the assigned school determines
whether children walk to school or ride the bus. The standard
for transportation of elementary students is more than one mile
and for secondary students is over 1.5 miles. Slightly over one
half of the 50,000 children attending DoD schools in Europe ride
a school bus, with the other half walking or using other transportation.
The family residence also must be located within the school commuting
area. Community Housing Referral Offices have information about
each school commuting area and its boundaries.
Students enrolled in pre-Kindergarten and Sure Start programs
and children with disabilities under an Individual Education Program
(IEP) may receive specialized transportation services tailored
to each child's special needs, based on age and/or IEP requirements.
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School
Bus Registration
The first step is to register children in the school.
Next is to visit the School Bus Office
servicing the community schools. Both a
parent and all students needing transportation need to be present
to register for transportation, receive a bus pass (usually with
the student’s picture), and to receive information or briefings
on the route(s) stops and schedule, bus safety, and behavior standards
and discipline rules.
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| last
updated
04/10/2008
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privacy
& security notice |
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