VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — This week marks School Bus Safety Week. According to Cris Sprouse, there were 248 instances of people passing stopped school buses in the month of June. Sprouse is the Special Education Director for the Virginia Beach Public Schools’ Transportation Department.
“If you go through bus lights while they are actively loading or unloading students, the camera captures it, it goes to the police department, the police department reviews it,” Sprouse explained.
So now, Sprouse and his team are in the process of installing cameras both inside and outside of every school bus in their fleet. Funding has already been secured for these cameras.
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“It’s probably going to be a little bit before it gets on every single bus but, it’s coming,” he said.
Not only is it School Bus Safety Week here in Virginia, but earlier this week marked School Bus Transportation Employees Appreciation Day. Remember, it’s never too late to show your appreciation to the people who get your children to and from school safely.
“The bus drivers are out there when it’s pouring with rain, winter is coming, they’re scraping windows, and getting their buses ready for your children to get a safe ride to and from school,” Sprouse said.
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It’s not just students that appreciate their drivers though. For one driver, Jeanne Morrison, she may appreciate her students more.
“They’re my bus babies, that’s all they are, and they are! My parents are wonderful, my kids are wonderful,” she said.
As soon as the cameras are installed on these buses, News 3 will be sure to follow through with the story.
