equipment in the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures Manual. Plus, Stone said cameras not only show what is hap- pening on the school bus but are also a great tool for evaluating bus drivers.


Cameras, Cameras, Cameras “I have found that when I ride with


[drivers], they ‘try’ to do everything by the book, but when I watch the vid- eo, sometimes that doesn’t happen,” Stone continued. “We also use these for investigations on student incidents and accusations.” Cor’Darius Jones, who goes by the


handle Mr. Bus Driver on TikTok and Facebook, echoed the importance of cameras. “We already have a great number


of interior cameras, exterior cameras, and even a backup camera,” he said of safety technology wish-list items for Escambia County School District in Florida. “Stop arm cameras would be a top priority. Many motorists are trying to find any way to avoid stopping for a school bus loading and unloading children. It’s gotten so bad, they are driving on the door side almost hitting students just to avoid waiting 10 to 15 seconds. Many are getting away with it due to the simple fact it happens so fast, and no officer is around to witness the infraction. These motorists need to be held accountable.” Motorist accountability is also a


priority for Washington’s Elkins. When he joined the district five years ago after retiring from law enforcement, he said the district had interior cameras but nothing on the exterior that helped with illegal passing incidents. He reached out to local police, the city and the three counties the district operates in and spoke with their traffic officers on the importance of stop-arm camer-


as. He explained the affidavit, a formal statement by bus drivers swearing a violation occurred that is required by the Revised Code of Washington, and how cameras confirm the violation oc- curred which leads to ticketing illegally passing violators. Orenthia Walker, director of trans-


portation for Flager County Schools in Florida, said the biggest threat he sees to student safety is vehicles not yielding to the stop arm. “We try to circumvent that as much as we can by picking up students on the right side,” he said, not- ing that it’s not always feasible based on travel path and location. The district is piloting cameras


through Safe Fleet’s SAVE (Stop Arm Vi- olation Enforcement System) program and is already seeing a decrease in the number of violations. The buses are outfitted with exterior cameras around the bus and a motion detector on the side of the bus. “Once the stop arms are engaged the system goes into effect,” Walker explained, adding that system will alert the public that the bus is going to stop. Additionally, he said bus sig- nage displays, “Camera Enforced.” The pilot has been running on three buses since last April and a separate bus is piloting the Gatekeeper system. Walker noted that next steps would be getting the school board’s approval to implement full fledged enforcement, which would allow law enforcement to use the video to ticket illegal passers. He explained buses chosen for the pilot were determined based on routes with high rates of illegal passing incidents. However, where Elkins in Washing-


ton sees the greatest asset to student safety is interior video, which helps with student management. “I couldn’t even tell you how many


complaints we get a day [regarding] bullying or assault, or whatever you can


Canada is the first country to mandate the use of perimeter visibility systems (external cameras) on school buses, which goes into effect for all new school buses in November 2027. Read more about this requirement at stnonline.com/go/m8.


48 School Transportation News • MAY 2025


Beth Allison at


Prince Williams County Schools in Virginia said safety equipment that should be standard on school buses are both interior and exteri- or cameras, crossing gates and child check systems. “Cameras on the


interior are important for student behavior monitoring. Exterior cameras assist with crash reconstruction and stop arm runners,” she said. “Crossing gates ensure students cross at a safe distance from the front of the bus whereas the driv- er has better visibility of them. Child check systems hold drivers accountable for check- ing their bus prior to departing it, making sure no student gets left on board the bus.”


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