Polk County school buses to feature new technology upgrades

LAKELAND, Fla. – Summer is almost over and kids will be heading back to school on Monday in the Tampa Bay area. In Polk County, school buses will feature some new technology upgrades.

New safety camera technology was installed on more than 500 school buses across Polk County this school year. When a school bus extends its stop-arm, the system can automatically detect when a driver illegally passes.

The HD camera takes video of the event, grabbing the license plate number.

RELATED: Hillsborough schools introduces new cameras to catch drivers illegally passing stopped buses

“We lost 22 students last year alone to traffic fatalities,” said Supeintendent Fred Heid of Polk County Public Schools. “That is a number and a situation that none of us want to deal with. The number of viewings and funerals that we have attended last year is unprecedented and unacceptable.”

A first offense carries a $100 fine. A second offense within five years carries a suspended license.

“The mobile app for parents is going to be a game changer,” said Justin Sharpless with the Polk County School Board.

Another technology upgrade on school buses will improve how the district monitors student ridership. Polk County students will have an ID card that they’ll scan to get on and off a school bus.

READ: Florida schools see substitute teacher shortage as school year approaches

The technology allows district staff to know who’s on the bus in real-time and if there’s a mix-up.

“If a child who’s trying to get on a bus that’s not their bus, it’ll let the driver know, red flag, there’s a red flag here,” said Rob Davis, the assistant superintendent of support services. “The bus driver will get them to the right school bus.”

Parents can also access a mobile app to know when their child’s bus is picking up or dropping off at stops. This technology will be slowly rolled out over the first quarter.

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