Golden Apple: Bemdiji Area School Buses Receive State Camera Grant

School bus safety is not something that should be taken lightly, but in the past five years, over four thousand vehicles have been reported to not stop for school vehicles in the state of Minnesota. That’s why the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, has issued a grant that will see Bemidji Area School buses be outfitted with high-quality cameras, meant to help report and decrease these instances.

When a motorist fails to stop for a school bus, a stop arm violation can be reported, however, these violations require bus drivers to memorize key details about the vehicle that failed to stop, which means having a high-quality camera to record the event can be incredibly helpful.

Bemdiji Area Schools Transportation Student Conduct & Security, Aaron Cymbaluk expressed excitement towards the grant, stating that it would allow bus drivers to focus more on the students they’re transporting.

“They (bus drivers) need the driver’s description, the vehicle make and model, and that’s all great,” explained Cymbaluk. “But their main focus is watching the kids get off the bus, making sure they’re not running across the road, so they can’t get all that information.”

Stop arm violations are incredibly common, with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety noting 769 stop arm violations in 2022 alone. Cymbaluk even acknowledged Bemidji Area Schools reporting sixteen violations since the start of the school year.

“These people need to be held accountable for what they’re doing, because one day it could end up really bad, someone could get hurt seriously or killed.” said Cymbaluk, “We don’t want that. Safety is key.”

Hopefully with these new cameras, motorists will be more mindful around school buses, and a bus driver’s top priority can remain on the safety of their passengers so that safety can remain key.

The state grant will allow for every Bemidji Area School bus to be outfitted with two cameras positioned at the front and back of the vehicle.