This spring, the Katy ISD bus fleet will receive new security cameras purchased from Houston-based Safety Vision for a total project cost of about $2.5 million funded by the 2017 voter-approved bond, according to meeting materials.
The new cameras are an upgrade to the existing system, which has been used by district since the mid-1980s, said Ted Vierling, KISD's assistant superintendent for operations, at the meeting.
Under the existing system, there is one interior camera mounted at the front of the bus, which provides minimal coverage, Vierling said. The video feed is stored on an SD card within the bus camera. If the district or police needs to view it, a transportation employee must retrieve the card from the bus, take the card to a district computer and download the video onto a flash drive, which then must be delivered to the police or district personnel.
With the new camera system, each bus will have eight cameras that provide maximum visibility both inside and outside the bus, Vierling said. This will help monitor students, ensure they leave the bus with the correct guardians and monitor other vehicles in the event of an accident.
Additionally, with the installation of Wi-Fi, the video feed can be uploaded immediately to KISD’s transportation facilities once a bus returns to its barn, Vierling said.
KISD will begin installing the systems during winter break with a target completion date of March 13 so after spring break, the system is up and running, Vierling said. All 330 regular buses and 241 special education buses will receive the new systems by the end of the school year, according to a district press release.
Additional information will be sent to parents and guardians in the coming weeks, Vierling added. No additional training is needed for bus drivers other than to show them how to mark the camera feed if an incident occurs to help administration easily find the event on the video.
“Safety, safety, safety,” Vierling said of why KISD administration pursued this upgrade. “Safety of the kids—that’s paramount—but safety of our drivers, safety of the folks in and around the bus stops.”
