New rules for drivers in school zones around Tampa Bay

TAMPA, Fla. - As the new school year begins on Monday, there are some new rules that will impact some drivers in Tampa.

Tampa police say that beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, cameras will be used in school zones at 13 schools within city limits that are determined to be high-risk locations.

Cameras have been installed at the following schools in Tampa:

• Alexander Elementary
• B.T. Washington Elementary
• Ferrell Girls Preparatory Academy
• Orange Grove Middle Magnet
• Potter Elementary
• Shaw Elementary
• Sulphur Springs Elementary
• Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary
• Young Middle Magnet
• Lomax Elementary

Tampa police say cameras may be installed at Shore Elementary, West Tampa Elementary and other schools that are approved by Tampa City Council, based on a safety study.  

READ: Polk County Public Schools to unsuspend school bus violator program at start of new school year

By the numbers:

If drivers are going more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit while the cameras are in operation, they will be sent a $100 violation notice.

Timeline:

Beginning on Monday, police say warnings will be issued to drivers who are in violation. Beginning September 10, violation notices will start being mailed out to drivers who are in violation.

What they're saying:

"The school zone, when it's flashing or during the school hours, having that extra ability to keep our students safe with those school cameras is important," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said. "If you're going over 10 miles an hour, after education and after a warning period, you could get issued a citation."

Dig deeper:

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office installed school zone speed cameras at 29 schools throughout Hillsborough County over the course of the last school year.

Cameras are now operating at the following schools in Hillsborough County:

• Bay Crest Elementary School
• Bloomingdale High School
• Buchanan Middle School
• Burnett Middle School
• Burns Middle School
• Citrus Park Elementary School
• Clair Mel Elementary School
• Claywell Elementary School
• Deer Park Elementary School
• Frost Elementary School
• Giunta Middle School
• Jennings Middle School
• Kingswood Elementary School
• Lennard High School
• Lopez Elementary School
• Lopez Exceptional Center
• Martinez Middle School
• McKitrick Elementary School
• Mort Elementary School
• Nelson Elementary School
• Plato Academy
• Riverview High School
• Rodgers Middle School
• Ruskin Elementary School
• Sgt. Smith Middle School
• Steinbrenner High School
• Town ‘N Country Elementary School
• Winthrop Charter School
• Yates Elementary School

The Bradenton Police Department also installed school zone speed cameras at 10 schools within city limits over the course of the last school year. 

"All of our cameras were fully operational for the second half of the last school year," Meredith Censullo, with the Bradenton Police Department, said. "But even with that, we still had over 12,000 violations."

Police are reminding drivers that the speed limit is reduced even further when the lights are flashing in a school zone.

"Let's say the reduced school zone speed limit is 25 miles per hour," Censullo said. If you are driving at 35 miles per hour or higher, you're going to get a $100 violation. "If those lights aren't flashing and it's just the middle of the school day, say around lunchtime, you still have to follow whatever the speed limit is on that road."

In Manatee County, the Board of Commissioners voted to pause its school zone speed enforcement program in the spring.  However, this doesn't impact the school zone speed cameras enforced by Bradenton police within Bradenton city limits.

What you can do:

Police say there are also additional rules drivers must follow when a school bus is stopped.

"If you are on a two-lane road, everybody needs to stop when a school bus stops, whether you're behind the bus or it's oncoming traffic," Censullo said. Everybody needs to stop. If you're on a divided roadway where it's paved all the way across, everybody needs to stop. You don't need to stop if there is a paved or curved median separating your lanes of travel from the school bus's lanes of traveling."

Police are asking drivers to pay close attention to the signage in school zones, especially as school begins on Monday.

You can find more information about violations notices from the City of Tampa here.