In a normal summer, the Warren County School District Transportation Department keeps busy with summer bus runs, plannin routes for the next school year, and safety checks.

This year, the department took on extra work, completing two technology projects that will enhance safety and provide students the opportunity to spend their time on the bus more productively.

“At the end of the last school year, the district installed 10 cameras on each school bus,” District Transportation Manager Mike Kiehl said. “A 72-passenger bus is now equipped with four internal cameras and six external cameras, equipped with motion sensors that identify and video capture when a motorist runs the red flashing lights on a school bus.”

“The system has been tested and will go live (today) with law enforcement processing violations,” Kiehl said.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Warren County School District’s school bus camera system went live today.

“The district was also awarded a grant to install WiFi in its school buses,” he said. “At 792 square miles, the WCSD is the second largest school district in Pennsylvania.”

“District buses log 1.8 million miles annually while transporting students to and from school,” Kiehl said. “The bus WiFi, which will be filtered using the district’s firewalls and policies, will make those miles more enjoyable for our students while also providing them with the potential for additional education and learning time on the bus.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated to the district administration that Warren County does not have widespread internet access and coverage, which can limit student opportunities,” he said. “Providing WiFi on the buses is just one step that the WCSD is taking to help bridge that gap.”

Between the internal cameras and the WiFi, district officials hope to see a reduction in unwanted behaviors on the bus, he said.

Once students are in their school buildings, they are entitled to free meals.

“The district would also like to remind parents and students that it has also moved all of its schools to the Community Eligibility Program (CEP),” Kiehl said. “Under CEP, all students enrolled in the district are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch each school day through the School Nutrition Program (SNP).”