Bus Transportation
Inquiries about bus routes, bus driver actions, or delays in students' arrival home after school should be directed to the DoDDS' European Transportation Management Office (DETMO)/School Bus Office (SBO) - Darmstadt Branch at 06151-64219. The elementary school office personnel do not have this information. Concerns about student bus behavior may be directed to the bus office or to the school administration.
The school staff makes every effort to ensure that students board the correct buses each day. Therefore, parents must send a note if there is any change in a child's transportation home from school. For any change in buses, whether one time or permanently, parents must first obtain permission with the SBO. UNLESS A NOTE IS RECEIVED CHILDREN WILL BE. SENT HOME ON THEIR REGULAR BUS. Except in emergency situations, telephone calls cannot be honored to change transportation arrangements, due to security reasons.
School Bus Service and Student Bus Behavior
DODDS-E, rather than the military community, is in charge of school buses. The local School Bus Office (SBO), located in the Darmstadt Middle School, Room 107, Building 4428 Lincoln Village, coordinates and contracts for the buses and determines the bus behavior standards in accordance with applicable guidelines. These standards are applied and enforced by the local School Bus Office and/or the Principal. Disciplinary actions taken are on a case by case basis and may differ with the severity of the infraction.
School Bus Discipline Responsibilities
Discipline on school buses is a shared responsibility among the students and parent/sponsors/guardians, DODDS' administrators, and the local School Bus Office. The School Bus Office and/or the Principal handle enforcement of the rules for bus riding.
1. STUDENTS are responsible for:
a. Conducting themselves in a safe and orderly manner when entering, exiting, or riding on school bus, in accordance with the standards published and provided upon registration for bus service.
b. Obeying the instructions of bus drivers and DODDS, DoDDS-Europe Transportation Division (DETD), SBO, and ASG/BSB officials.
Carrying and presenting the bus pass when requested by DODDS, SBO, DETD, ASG/BSB officials, or bus drivers.
d. Immediately reporting the loss or damage of the bus pass to the School Bus Office.
e. Providing schools personnel with written notification from parent/sponsor/guardian for any variation or change from the normal departure from school.
2. PARENTS/GUARDIANS/SPONSORS are responsible for:
a. Ensuring that their family members riding school buses know the behavior standards and that they comply with those standards.
b. The behavior of their family members and any damage to vehicles that may result from improper behavior of their child.
c. The safety and conduct of their family members to and from the bus stop and while at the bus stop.
d. Ensuring that their family members are at the designated school bus pickup point five minutes prior to the bus' scheduled arrival time.
e. Reporting to the School Bus Office any unsafe actions by drivers or bus riders, when observed.
f. Getting their family members to and from school in accordance with school arrival and departure policies if their family member's bus riding privileges are suspended.
g. Providing, school personnel with timely written notification when a student has a change in his/her normal transportation schedule.
A complete list of bus rules should have been provided to you upon registering your child for bus service. Please go over these rules with your child to ensure they know and understand the standards of conduct for safe, responsible bus riding.
Inquiries concerning bus routes or delays in students' arrival home after school should be directed to the Darmstadt School Bus Office. They can be reached at the numbers listed below. In the event of an emergency and you receive no answer, please call the local Military Police Desk at 348-777, who will then contact Bus Office personnel.
The bus pass issued to each student is his or her "ticket to ride." Failure to have a bus pass may result in loss of bus riding privileges. It is the means by which buses are contracted and students are identified as legitimate riders. Any change in the pickup/drop-off bus stop for students must be coordinated in advance. This includes changes of residence such as moving out of temporary quarters and riding with friends on a limited basis.
Parents and family members are not authorized to instruct drivers on how to perform their duties. This is a contractual responsibility of the bus office. Therefore, rather than speaking with the drivers, please contact someone from the SBO, who is the authorized liaison in these matters if a problem arises.
The School Bus Office customer service hours are, Monday-Friday 0815-1200/ 1300-1430 / 1500-1630. Parents should visit this office for registering their child(ren) for bus services. It is encouraged that the student accompanies the parent for registration, but not required. If the student does not accompany the parent, the parent should be ready to provide a current picture to be copied for the bus pass.
SBO Office telephone number: Civilian 06151-64219
Mobile phone: 0171-5590076 E-mail
Transportation assistant: Mobile phone: 0170-336-5028 E-mail
Return to Top
Home
DoDEA Privacy and Security Notice
(If you leave the Darmstadt ES School Web page when you link to other sites, you will need to use the back arrow key to return to your original page.)
Last Updated 28 September 2007