Okinawa, South District Transportation

Okinawa Student Transportation

Greetings, PAC-South Families! 

The Okinawa Student Transportation Office is proud to announce implementation of the Student Transportation Automated Registration System (STARS), Okinawa!

Please see SY-2024-25 Student Transportation for guidance on school bus registration for the coming school year. If you have any questions about the new process, please contact us at okin-bus@dodea.edu or DSN 645-7820. Respectfully, The Okinawa Student Transportation Office

Other Transportation Information

Walking Distances

The walking distance for grades 6 and below will not normally exceed 1 mile from their primary residence to the school or designated bus stop. Students in grades 7-12 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 areas or neighborhoods. In locations, such as Okinawa, having middle schools, which include grade 6 (i.e., grades 6-8), the walking distance criteria shall be the same as the criteria for grades 7-12.

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 commuting zones are available at the base housing office and the STO office as well as a pdf copy on this page on the top right.

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 STO.

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.

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.

A map and/or narrative description is used to identify the commuting area for each school is available at each STO.

Lost Items

The DoDEA Pacific South STO stores all School Bus Lost & Found items at its office, at building 5821 on Camp Foster, throughout the week. On a weekly basis, School Bus Lost & Found items are returned to the schools’ Lost & Found area.