ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - The St. Cloud Area School District has launched a new campaign focused on bus safety.

New videos, local billboards, and social media posts will remind everyone to obey traffic laws when in sight of a school bus and raise awareness of the new stop arm cameras installed on the bus fleet.

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Earlier this year, the district received a $28,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety to install cameras on school buses. The district says the grant equipped 21 buses with cameras.

Transportation Supervisor Natalie Ratha said the new cameras video drivers and can gather any information police need to issue a ticket if the driver doesn’t stop when the stop arm is out and the lights are flashing.

State officials say more than 4,500 drivers statewide were cited for stop arm violations between 2017 and 2021.

Senate File 241, making its way through the Minnesota Senate, would require all busses to have an extended stop arm. Currently, buses have a stop arm that extends about 18 inches from the side of the bus. If passed, the new law would require an extension that would place the stop sign on a six-foot arm.

To watch the St Cloud Area School District bus safety video, click here.

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