Just ‘STOP’

It should be common sense. If a stop sign is extended from a school bus, you stop your vehicle. However, officials from Clarke Community School District have noticed a growing problem.

“Even though the sign is out, the bus is stopped, the lights are lit — they blow through the stop sign,” Clarke Superintendent Steve Seid said.

The school district has decided to be proactive to fix the situation — and find the violators.

During a Clarke Community School Board meeting Monday, July 11, the board approved to start adding cameras to the school bus stop signs.

They’ll find you

The school district has been collecting data for a couple of years on the school bus issue.

Now, when the stop signs are engaged and the lights are on, if someone doesn’t obey the stop sign, the cameras will capture the image of the vehicle and potentially the license plate.

“We thought it would be beneficial for the community to know, just to be aware that it’s a very dangerous situation, obviously,” Seid said.

The school district is also adding more cameras for inside the school buses, he said.

The state places a high priority on the safety of its students.

Kadyn’s Law

On May 10, 2011, Kadyn Halverson, 7, of Northwood, was struck by a pickup while trying to cross the road to board a school bus.

According to Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), Kadyn’s Law was enacted in 2012, and it increased the criminal penalties and administrative sanctions for those convicted of such violations.

Here are the penalties for a first offense from the DOT:

• Criminal citation under Iowa Code 321.372(5)(b)(1) — Unlawful passing of school bus first offense, simple misdemeanor

• Fines — At least $250 but not more than $675

• Imprisonment — The court may order imprisonment not to exceed 30 days in lieu of or in addition to a fine

• Driving privilege suspension — Iowa DOT will impose a 30-day suspension

The penalties get higher and harsher for second, third and subsequent offenses to the law.

Clarke cameras

At Clarke, two cameras for the school bus stop signs have been ordered to see how effective they are as they are put into use.

The stop arm cameras are $743 per camera. They will go into effect at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.

Seid said the district is looking into what buses will get the cameras but declined to say specifics.

The reason for this is for drivers to be vigilant around all the school buses and to treat them and their occupants with safety and respect.

“It seems like people are not obeying those stop signs at a higher rate,” he said. “So, this is just our way of trying to protect the kids at a higher level before somebody really gets hurt.”