Grants awarded to more than a dozen districts, transportation companies to improve school bus safety

State officials have awarded more than $1.4 million in grants to multiple school districts and transportation companies across Minnesota to help improve the safety of students traveling by bus to and from school.

The funds will be used to install bus stop arm cameras in an effort to change dangerous driving behaviors around school buses, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The cameras will help police and school districts find and hold those accountable who don’t stop for flashing lights and extended stop arms.

Under state law, all vehicles must stop for buses when the flashing lights and a fully extended stop arm. Drivers on both sides of an undivided road must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that has red flashing lights and an extended stop arm.

However, drivers who are on the opposite side of a bus on a roadway that has a separating median aren’t required to stop.

Anyone who violates that law may face a $500 fine and can face criminal charges if a school bus is passed on the right, when a child is outside the bus as well as injuring or killing a child.

Among the recipients in the agency’s fifth round of grant recipients include:

• $684,318.35 for First Student Transportation – serves Winona, Washington, Ramsey, Hennepin and Goodhue Counties
• $43,138.87 for Cambridge-Isanti Schools in Isanti and Chisago Counties
• $180,345.00 for South Washington County Schools
• $29,985.00 for Northland Community Schools in Cass County
• $22,053.41 for Mora Public Schools in Kanabec County
• $67,096.44 for Bemidji Area Schools in Beltrami and Hubbard Counties
• $7,842.39 for Bemidji Bus Line in Beltrami and Hubbard Counties
• $32,321.91 for Cleveland Public School in Le Sueur, Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties
• $137,749.28 for 4.0 School Services, which serves Redwood, Carver, Carlton, McLeod, Lincoln, Lyon and Meeker Counties
• $29,975.00 for Staples-Motley ISD 2170 in Todd, Wadena, Cass and Morrison Counties
• $23,963.95 for Labraaten Bus Company Inc., which serves McLeod County

The funds will reimburse schools and transportation companies for buying and installing the camera systems and the correlating software programs.

State authorities say law enforcement agencies cited more than 4,600 people for violations regarding stop arms and flashing lights on school buses from 2017-2021.