Mason Public Schools are investing in technology this Wednesday.
Tuesday night, the school board approved bids to install video camera systems and stop arm cameras on all district buses.
This summer the district bought new buses with this technology already installed.
The current buses will get this new technology by the end of the year.
Mason's goal, once all of the cameras are installed, is to have the most up-to-date tech available on the buses, making the transportation of students more safe.
“Recently, we have seen many reports of cars illegally passing buses which have the stop arms out and in some cases causing accidents. Mason has been working on equipping our buses with this technology for many months and are proud to say that we are doing all that we can to prevent accidents from occurring around our students and drivers,” said Ronald Drzewicki, Ed.S., Superintendent, Mason Public Schools.
The stop arm camera on the buses allows the district to capture photos of drivers and license plates of vehicles that pass school buses illegally when the stop arm is out. The images will be turned over to local law enforcement for further investigation.
The bid was accepted from the Holland Bus Company. They will purchase and install the Angel Trax Video systems for $56,229 each. The money will be paid out in bond dollars.
"Every bus will have 4 cameras inside that feature a a fully articulated lens casing, adjustable vertically, horizontally and 180 degrees in any direction at installation, to obtain the desired view of the vehicle's interior," Ronald Drzewicki of Mason Schools said in a press release. "The cameras are capable of capturing clear high-definition images day or night along with audio."
