School board to study bus-stop lighting, stop‑arm cameras and route fixes

The Hernando County School Board at an informal meeting on an unspecified date directed staff to further study safety and efficiency changes for student transportation, including adding lighting at dark bus stops, evaluating automated stop‑arm camera systems, and exploring smaller vehicles or route changes to shorten long bus rides for families in Hernando Beach.

Board member Laurie Hawkins opened the discussion on lighting and bus safety: "So I would like to discuss lighting at the bus stops." Hawkins said some morning stops are picked up in darkness and that district staffer Ralph would work with her to identify stops lacking lighting.

The board agreed lighting will likely require coordination with the county because many stops are on county property. "When you look at it, you're gonna find that most of those stops are on county property. The county is the one that would have to pay for the lighting at those corners," a board…