JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools has received $639,000 from its school bus stop-arm camera program and is reviewing how the revenue can legally be spent, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said at its Tuesday board meeting.
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The district has not yet provided a complete list of permitted uses. Bernier described the allowable spending as narrow and tied to transportation safety and security.
“There have been a number of incidents, too many, where people have passed our school buses, resulting in requests for fines,” he said. “A regressive funding system — if worked the right way, we should see less and less tickets. It should not be a continuing source of revenue.”
The district also is tracking where violations are occurring, officials said. Stops that generate a large share of tickets have prompted questions about whether the locations are appropriate, and the district has begun investigating those stops.
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DCPS launched the program in April with BusPatrol America, equipping about 900 buses with cameras that record vehicles passing while a bus’ stop arm is extended and red lights are flashing. After a warning period, $225 fines began May 1. The district previously said the program would be funded through citation revenue and would not cost taxpayers.
Florida law says districts’ decisions to install the camera systems must be based solely on public safety. It bars vendors from being paid based on the number of violations detected, while allowing fixed payments for installation, operation, or maintenance.
Bernier said he expects fewer violations — and less revenue from fines — if the program improves driver compliance.
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