WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — After an unprecedented number of student fatalities last school year due to vehicular and pedestrian accidents, Polk County Public Schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on a new initiative aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school.

What You Need To Know

  • Polk County schools partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to start the "Safe Stop" initiative, which is aimed at keeping students safer on their way to and from school

  • All 511 Polk County school buses will be equipped with cameras to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses

  • First offense citations are $198

  • Cameras will be operational starting on Aug. 12, which is the first day of school, but no citations will be issued until Sept. 24

Superintendent Frederick Heid says Polk County is one of the fastest growing communities in the nation, which means there’s more traffic than ever before. 

He says the “Safe Stop” initiative can help ensure students’ safety.

“Last year, as we collected data for this proposal, we had over 400 instances where bus drivers, our bus drivers, reported someone had unsafely passed a school bus after it stopped,” said Heid.

That number was just on one day, which is why he went to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, to partner and bring the Safe Stop initiative to Polk County.

“The reality is we love you all. We don’t want to give you a traffic citation, just stop for the school bus, but as much as we love you, we love the safety of those children more,” said Judd.

All 511 Polk County school buses are now equipped with safety cameras. Once the stop arm is extended, they start rolling, capturing cars that illegally pass to be reviewed and sent a citation.

“This is going to be a system where if you get a notice in the mail that you have this citation and you go, ‘I don’t remember running that,’ you can click the link and watch that and go, ‘Whoa there’s no doubt about this,’” said Judd.

For first offenders, the citation is $198, and Judd says a deputy will review every video before issuing the fine. 

Heid says last school year, one Polk County student was hit by a driver who illegally passed a school bus, and 21 other students were killed in accidents involving cars. He says if these cameras save even one student's life, they’re well worth it.

“The number of funerals and viewings we’ve attended this last year is unprecedented and unacceptable. Our students should not be put in that position,” said Heid.

The Hillsborough County School District will be using Safe Stop cameras on its buses this school year, too. 

School bus safety cameras in Polk County will be operational starting on Aug. 12 — the first day of school, but Judd says they extended the required education period from 30 to 60 days, so no citations will be issued until Sept. 24.