District to evaluate stop-arm cameras after weekly reports of motorists passing stopped school buses

The business manager told the board two new buses purchased last year arrived equipped with stop-arm cameras and said footage from those cameras has been useful in documenting motorists illegally passing stopped school buses. "It happens weekly," the business manager said, emphasizing concern for student safety and urging community members to discourage the practice.

The district previously placed a camera on a Warren bus due to frequent passing incidents; when staff reported incidents the police responded and took them seriously, the business manager said. The footage is video, but staff can slow records to take snapshots and identify license plates if necessary. The business manager said the district will calculate costs to add cameras to more buses, prioritizing routes in larger towns where the problem is more frequent.

Board members asked technical questions about the cameras' capabilities and the district said they can extract snapshots from the video recordings for enforcement. The topic will return for budget and procurement review as the district prices cameras for additional buses.