Service content
Description of the
The need to transport pupils to and from school in the event of
- state primary, secondary and special schools;
- public or state-recognised private secondary schools (Realschulen), grammar schools (Gymnasien), vocational schools (excluding part-time vocational schools), two-stage business schools and three- or four-stage business schools up to and including Year 10, as well as
- public or state-recognised vocational schools offering full-time education
is organised and funded by the authorities responsible for school transport.
The responsible authorities for state primary, secondary and special schools are the local authorities responsible for the schools’ operating costs; for other schools, they are the districts and independent cities in which the pupil has their habitual residence.
You can find information on free travel to and from school under ‘Related topics’.
Prerequisites
The obligation to provide transport applies to regular compulsory and compulsory-elective lessons at the nearest school, provided that the journey to school is
- Pupils in Years 1 to 4 who live more than 2 km away and
- for pupils from Year 5 onwards is more than 3 km.
Exception:
- Pupils who require transport due to a long-term disability are provided with free transport, regardless of the distance.
- Similarly, transport may be provided for journeys to school that fall below these distance limits if, following an assessment by the relevant authority, the journey to school is deemed to be particularly arduous or particularly dangerous. The nearest school is the compulsory school, the school to which the pupils have been allocated, or the school offering the chosen type of education, training or specialisation that can be reached with the least transport effort.
Legal basis
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Procedure
The school authorities cooperate with one another and with the schools. Due regard must be given to the interests of the pupils, the schools and the school authorities. The headteacher determines the school timetable in accordance with the school regulations, in consultation with the school authority.
The responsible authorities fulfil their transport obligation primarily by means of public transport. Other modes of transport, such as school buses, private motor vehicles, taxis or hire cars, are to be used only where this is necessary or more cost-effective overall. In individual cases, the responsible authority may fulfil its obligation to provide transport by offering a mileage allowance for the reasonable use of private motor vehicles.