Dependent students enrolled in DoDEA Guam schools in grades K-12 residing within the Commuting Area and outside of walking distance are eligible for DoDEA school bus transportation service.
Commuting Areas
The Commuting Zone is defined as specific geographic area used to determine eligibility for student transportation services of dependent students attending DoDEA schools. Likewise, the School's Feeder Plan is used to determine and balance student enrollment within the Primary and Middle school setting. Rezoning Letter to Parents
A map of the commuting area is located within each STO, school and housing referral office. This service is authorized for space-required students residing within the commuting zone and outside of the walking distance of the enrolled school. School Bus Transportation Zones Map
Off-Base Transportation
Transportation is available for many housing areas on the island. Sponsors who plan to reside off-base are encouraged to confirm the availability of school busing services at the potential housing address. The STO is a viable resource and their feedback can assist in making an informed decision
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
Daily Commute Transportation
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.
- Only one trip to/from school per day is authorized for each student.
- Students must only ride their specifically assigned bus route.
Only students attending DoDEA Guam schools, DoDEA staff, STO personnel, bus drivers, safety aides and security personnel assigned by the installation commander are authorized to board and ride a DoDEA school bus performing daily commuting services
Special Needs Transportation
This is defined as special transportation services that are prescribed in a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) to meet the transportation needs of students with disabilities. 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 is usually not provided to students who live within the walking area of the school and who have a disability that does not prohibit them from walking, or being escorted by the sponsor or guardian, to and from school safely.
Other Student Transportation Authorizations
Daily commute transportation services may be provided to students residing outside of 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 to accommodate space required students.
The School Bus Danger Zone
Few aspects of school bus loading and unloading are more dangerous than the appropriately named Danger Zone. The Danger Zone includes areas near the school bus where a student cannot be directly seen by the school bus driver, and where incidents involving other vehicles are most likely to occur.
The Danger Zone can be considered to be a rectangle stretching 10 feet from the school bus in any direction, with the most dangerous areas being the immediate front of the school bus as well as, within arm's reach of the back half of the school bus.
Danger Zone awareness is crucial to school bus safety. Both the school bus driver and the students always need to be aware of the danger zone. Here are some tips for reinforcing this vital piece of safety information.
Danger Zone Awareness:
- Students should always be aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately, motorists ignoring the deployment of the stop-arm signal continues to be a problem and there is an ever-present risk that a motorist will drive past the school bus.
- Students should always look to the right before exiting the school bus, then look both ways and wait for the school bus driver to signal to them that it is safe to cross the street.
- One of the most dangerous things a student can do is drop an item within the danger zone, then bend over to pick up the dropped item. At this point, they will be completely invisible to the school bus driver and most at risk.
- Students should always seek out an adult to alert the school bus driver prior to the adult retrieving the item for the student.