Rochester Public Schools adds cameras to buses through state grant to help reduce traffic infractions
The total investment in the Rochester buses was roughly $300,000.
A stop arm camera installed on a bus used by Rochester Public Schools is pictured Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Rochester. The cameras have been installed on more than 100 buses used by the district. The cameras will help police investigate drivers who fail to stop for school bus stop arms.
ROCHESTER — External cameras have been installed on 104 buses used by Rochester Public Schools in order to reduce the number of drivers who ignore the stop sign arms while buses transport district students.
Rochester Public Schools contracts with First Student for its school bus service.
First Student received funding for the project from a grant through the Office of Traffic Safety. In total, OTS dispersed $14 million grants around the state for the cameras. The total investment in Rochester was roughly $300,000.
"These cameras are meant to provide additional accountability to motorists who fail to stop for the stop arm," said Jenifer Doyle, First Student safety manager.
The upgrades include two different external cameras to each bus, providing footage of different angles. In total, there are 208 new cameras to the fleet of buses the district contracts for.
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According to Rahya Geisler, coordinator for the School Bus Camera Grant, the funding has provided cameras for about 60% of the school buses in the state, or 7,000 buses.
Since the cameras were installed in the Rochester buses on Feb. 17, First Student has reported 38 violations to the Rochester Police Department. Doyle added that there are "hundreds" of such violations in the course of a year.
"These cameras are another tool in our tool box to ensure the safety of our kids," said Jeff Kappers, RPS Transportation director. "We all have a part to play in our students' safety."
Jenifer Doyle, area safety manager with First Student, speaks during a press conference about the installation of stop arm cameras on buses used by Rochester Public Schools as Jeff Kappers, transportation manager with RPS, stands by Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the district's Edison Administration Building in Rochester. The cameras will help police investigate drivers who fail to stop for school bus stop arms. The cameras have been installed on more than 100 buses used by the district.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
Rochester Police Department Lt. Tom Faudskar speaks during a press conference about the installation of stop arm cameras on buses used by Rochester Public Schools on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the district's Edison Administration Building in Rochester. The cameras will help police investigate drivers who fail to stop for school bus stop arms. The cameras have been installed on more than 100 buses used by the district.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
Jeff Kappers, transportation manager with Rochester Public Schools, speaks during a press conference about the installation of stop arm cameras on buses used by the district Tuesday, March 21, 2023, at the district's Edison Administration Building in Rochester. The cameras will help police investigate drivers who fail to stop for school bus stop arms. The cameras have been installed on more than 100 buses used by the district.
Jordan Shearer covers K-12 education for the Post Bulletin. A Rochester native, he graduated from Bemidji State University in 2013 before heading out to write for a small newsroom in the boonies of western Nebraska. Bringing things full circle, he returned to Rochester in 2020 just shy of a decade after leaving. Readers can reach Jordan at 507-285-7710 or jshearer@postbulletin.com.
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