District to deploy stop‑arm cameras June 1; bus fleet to shift from diesel to propane over years

The Hatboro‑Horsham School District will begin using a stop‑arm camera enforcement system on school buses starting June 1, the Safe Schools Committee liaison told the board on May 19.

“Starting on 06/01/2025, BusPatrol will begin will go live in the district,” Dr. McLaren said during his liaison report. The district installed side‑arm cameras on buses to record vehicles that illegally pass when red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended; each recorded violation is forwarded to local police for review before a citation is issued.

Why it matters: motorists who fail to stop for school buses risk citations that the district said are processed by police. Improved enforcement is intended to protect students boarding and exiting buses.

Key details and process - The liaison cited Pennsylvania law requiring motorists to stop at least 10 feet from school buses with flashing red lights and the stop arm extended. The presentation stated a first‑time violation penalty of $300; when a board member asked whether that penalty applied statewide or only locally, Dr. McLaren said he would follow up. - The district will receive monthly reports from BusPatrol on the number of citations issued so the board can track program results and changes in illegal passing behavior.

Bus fleet fuel and garage constraints Transportation matters also came up during the facilities discussion. Mr. Stone confirmed the district’s current fleet mix is roughly half propane and half diesel and said the district is replacing diesel buses with propane as they are retired. “We are replacing diesel buses with propane,” Mr. Stone said when asked about the fuel plan. He told the board the district replaces about one or two buses per fiscal cycle and estimated that, at that pace, fully phasing out diesel could take about 10–15 years.

Electrification constraints Mr. Stone said the bus garage site currently lacks electrical capacity to support many charging stations and that the campus electrical grid is “pretty maxed out.” He also said the district had not yet developed a full cost estimate for removing existing diesel tanks; when asked, he said the district did not have that removal cost on hand but could obtain it.

Operational follow‑up Board members requested and were told they will receive monthly BusPatrol reports showing citation counts. District staff agreed to provide cost estimates on diesel tank removal and additional electrification planning if requested by the board.

Ending The combination of the enforcement program and incremental fleet replacement reflects the district’s two‑track approach: increase enforcement immediately to protect students while planning longer‑term fleet and fueling infrastructure changes that will require engineering, funding and time.