Board approves school bus cameras

The Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with the Fairfax County School Board June 27 to allow video monitoring systems on school buses to enforce the law against passing a stopped bus.

Cameras would be located on the stop sign arm activated when a school bus stops. A pilot program would start in spring 2024 with 50 buses

The owner of a car caught on camera passing a stopped school bus would be subject to a $250 civil penalty. If the owner wasn’t driving the car at that time, they can appeal.

“Passing a school bus with flashing red lights under no circumstances I can conceive of is appropriate behavior,” said board chair Jeffrey McKay. “Anyone who passes a school bus is at risk of being photographed and being issued a citation.”

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This program has been a long time coming. School bus cameras were first discussed by the board in 2013, but the program has been held up by legal issues, including the need to enact state legislation.

Under the agreement, Fairfax County Public Schools will be responsible for contracting with a vendor to provide a bus camera system and an enforcement program.

The county will provide resources through the Fairfax County Police Department necessary to validate suspected stop arm violations, assist with resulting prosecutions, and provide the vendor, Verra Mobility, with vehicle ownership data. The FCPD will authorize the vendor to issue citations. The county will transfer enforcement revenue to FCPS.