Barren County Schools upgrading bus cameras
GLASGOW Ky.- School safety. It doesn’t just start inside the classroom. It’s equally important for students to be safe on their way to school and when they’re picked up. That’s why the Barren County School District will soon install new 180 degree viewing cameras under the school bus stop signs.
The district’s Director of Transportation Chip Jenkins said it’s urgent to deter those who may otherwise race past a bus stop sign.
“It’s a child’s life. That’s what we’re all advocating as directors and a district. We always want our children to be safe, and so we’re just wanting to ensure that that happens,” Jenkins said.
These buses already have one directional cameras, but they can only catch cars after they pass, meaning it’s much harder to get an image of the driver’s face and license plate. The new cameras will catch vehicles coming and going.
North Jackson Elementary School Principal Jeannie London believes it’s great for the students.
“I think it’s awesome. If you talk to any parent or community member, they’ll be super excited that Barren County schools are committed number 1 to the safety of the students. We’re very blessed, and very excited that that’s going to happen,” London said.
The thought is that drivers will treat the flashing red lights like they would a red traffic light. London said it’ll provide that extra layer of comfort.
“The new feature is going to provide that extra help to make sure our students are arriving to school safely, and that’s what we want to make sure we do here in Barren County,” London said.
As the school district strives to be proactive, school officials emphasize that when the red lights flash, stop.
“Anytime we can prevent a loss of life, we’re ahead of the game. Not that I know of in Barren County, I don’t think we’ve lost a child due to a stop arm incident where they’ve been hit, but there have been fatalities across the state and the nation. If we can prevent one less life lost, it’s a tremendous success,” Jenkins said.
