Transportation staff recommend digital radios, van cameras and a wheelchair‑accessible bus after safety review; bus‑patrol data shows hotspots

Easton Area School District transportation staff recommended multiple safety and service upgrades at a standing‑committee meeting, including replacing the district’s aging radio system with a modern digital network, adding high‑definition cameras to vans that carry students with behavioral or special‑needs transport plans, and purchasing a wheelchair‑accessible bus to reduce outsourced contracts.

Ben Bernhardt, who led the review for the Transportation Department, framed the recommendations around three priorities: safety, security and service. He told the board the current radio system is 16–17 years old, offers a single channel with limited privacy and accountability, and suffers coverage and audio quality problems. He said the department tested two vendor solutions and recommended a modern digital system with separate operational and emergency channels, vehicle ID, panic alerts and better audio — features he said improve dispatcher and driver communications and allow remote microphone activation in an emergency.

Bernhardt recommended a Motorola XPR‑series digital setup (the vendor described as a higher‑grade device during the presentation) and said a modern system’s initial investment is higher but will be less expensive over the long run. He said one vendor’s annual digital access quote in October 2024 was about $46,200; another vendor proposed about $25,960 per year, and the district currently pays $29,052 per year under its existing arrangement. Board members asked for an apples‑to‑apples comparison, multi‑year maintenance options and warranty/repair plans before any commitment.

Van video and panic/incident features Bernhardt also recommended adding video systems for the district’s vans (which do not qualify for bus‑patrol automatic enforcement) so drivers and principals can obtain footage quickly. He described a digital DVR approach using removable high‑capacity cards, which the department says avoids long download delays and allows quicker evidence transfer to principals. The proposal quoted an estimated per‑vehicle price in the meeting materials and a seven‑van total of about $11,452 (presentation figure).

Wheelchair‑accessible bus proposal The transportation presentation included a recommendation to purchase a larger wheelchair‑accessible bus (three‑quarter‑size) rather than a smaller minibus. Presenters said the larger vehicle can carry more seats and more wheelchair positions (presentations listed up to nine wheelchairs possible on the larger bus) and is better suited to field trips, extracurricular transport and fully inclusive group travel. The purchase price reported during the meeting was $146,125; Bernhardt and administration staff proposed funding the purchase from a mix of sources including insurance proceeds from a previously totaled van, transportation capital replacement funds, proceeds from retiring buses and district access funds. Board members asked administrators to confirm insurance and long‑term operating or insurance cost impacts before approval.

Bus‑patrol citation data and hotspots The meeting also included a bus‑patrol update presented by John Romali and transportation staff. From Sept. 1 through Jan. 30 the district sent 1,959 recorded violations captured by bus cameras to local police or the district police; presenters said about 1,565 of those submissions were approved for citation by law enforcement, an approval rate presenters described as roughly 80 percent. They reported 29 percent of violations occurred on the morning runs and 71 percent on afternoon routes. Hotspots included multiple stops along Route 248 (Park Avenue corridor) and other specific addresses; the top 10 problem stops accounted for about half of the violations reported.

Public comment and procurement questions A representative of the current incumbent radio provider, Industrial Communications, spoke during public comment and urged a full, apples‑to‑apples bid process; the vendor said its October quote could be updated and that combining procurement with a neighboring district could reduce per‑unit costs. Board members asked staff to provide the following before any procurement vote: clarified, comparable vendor proposals and warranties; lifecycle and maintenance cost scenarios (including multi‑year maintenance contracts if available); confirmation from the district’s bond counsel on whether bond or bond‑reserve funds could be used for radios/cameras; and an insurance/operating cost analysis for the wheelchair bus and any new driver‑training or CDL requirements.

Timing and next steps Bernhardt said a February approval would allow installation over the summer and integration before the next school year; board members asked staff to return with the requested clarifications and to place any procurement items on a future business agenda after legal and finance checks. The district flagged that some funding questions may require formal confirmation from the district’s bond counsel and the business office before a final decision.