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

Polk school bus violator program unsuspended

As Polk County students prepare to return to school next week, cameras on school buses will once again be used to catch drivers illegally passing them. Carla Bayron reports.

BARTOW, Fla. - As Polk County students prepare to return to school next week, cameras on school buses will once again be used to catch drivers illegally passing them.

The backstory:

Polk County Public Schools began equipping their fleet of 500 buses with state-of-the-art video cameras in August 2024. The district partnered with Verra Mobility to reduce dangerous driving behavior by capturing the license plates of violators who ignore the stop-arm sign and fining them hundreds of dollars.

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"Ninety-eight percent of drivers who receive a first offense citation do not receive a second one. This program helps raise awareness and reminds everyone that we must comply with the law, especially for the safety of our children," said Melba Rivera, the vice president of product management at Verra Mobility.

However, the school district suspended the program during the summer to comply with a new state law.

"The new law, which went into effect on July 1, allows drivers to appeal fines directly to the school district instead of the courts. Each district will have a hearing officer who oversees the process."

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What they're saying:

A spokesperson for the district told FOX 13 that an appeals process will be in place by the time school begins on August 11. He wrote in part: "There is an alarming, ongoing issue with drivers not stopping for school buses. Nearly 13,000 violations have been issued since our Safe Stop program took effect, and that is not acceptable."

With more than 115,000 students and more than 120 schools, the district emphasizes that safety continues to be its number one priority.