The Public Schools of Robeson County to install more bus cameras with $200K grant
LUMBERTON, N.C. (WBTW) — The Public Schools of Robeson County has been awarded a $200,000 school safety grant to install more bus cameras.
The grant was given by the Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools, according to a news release by the district.
The district will first place cameras on the yellow buses at elementary schools who don’t have a camera and the remaining cameras will be placed on high school and activity buses, the district said.
The cameras will be installed on the buses next week.
Bobby Locklear, Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services at the Public Schools of Robeson County said he is grateful for the opportunity to equip more buses with cameras.
“Our goal is to continue to enhance student safety through grant opportunities like the School Safety Grant,” Locklear said.
The cameras can assist law enforcement officers with investigations of drivers who pass stopped school buses.
In addition, bus camera footage can be accessed if an incident occurs on a bus or if the bus is involved in a crash, Locklear said.
The camera system to be installed will allow buses to automatically upload stored video footage to the cloud as buses arrive at school, Locklear said.
Earlier this school year, the district used funding to place cameras on 12 buses that were determined to have the highest need and most outdated equipment, the release said.
In 2022, the district received safety funding in the amount of $1,048,000 to purchase radios for every bus and for placing uniform keyed entry systems at all PSRC facilities, according to the release.
The district was among 230 school districts and charter schools across the state to benefit from $35 million in 2023-2024 safety grants announced by North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools, the release said.
Grant funds awarded could be used to cover safety equipment, training and services for students in crisis, according to the Center for Safer Schools.
“It is part of the Center’s mandate and mission to give public-school units the tools they need to help keep their schools safer – that includes grant funding,” said CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley. “We thank the General Assembly for its generous appropriation that enables us to support North Carolina public schools.”
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said the need for school safety funding is crucial in ensuring students’ well-being throughout their educational journey.
“Nothing is more important than making our schools safer and more secure, and these grants will continue to play a vital role,” Truitt said. “This funding will help improve school security in many ways, including, updating technology and training to prevent future emergencies. I applaud state lawmakers for making this a priority and look forward to working with them to deliver more safety funding in the future.”
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.
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