Miami-Dade schools to audit bus camera program after investigation reveals issues
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Miami-Dade drivers fed up with school bus camera tickets
A Miami Herald/Tributary investigation found that Miami area drivers were receiving bogus tickets from the school district’s bus safety program, and had no way to fight them.
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Following a Miami Herald/Tributary investigation revealing issues with Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ school bus camera program, the school board voted Wednesday in favor of a comprehensive audit of the program.
Miami-Dade schools partnered with Bus Patrol, a private company, to equip school buses with automated cameras designed to catch drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. Citations are then issued by mail.
Read more: ‘Stealing from us’: Miami drivers fed up with school district’s bus camera program
The contract between Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Bus Patrol is a revenue-generating agreement, meaning the district receives a portion of the ticket proceeds, while Bus Patrol, responsible for the cameras and enforcement logistics, takes a share as well. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office provided the staff to review the videos of violations.
The investigation found that many drivers felt they were receiving tickets erroneously, including some who were legally driving on the opposite side of a raised median. Drivers were further frustrated when they attempted to contest their citations but found themselves unable to do so.
In response to the fallout, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz suspended her department’s participation in the program.
School board member Roberto Alonso, who requested the audit, said he acted in response to increasing media attention and community concerns.
“There was kind of a buildup of questions from the community, and it’s important for the public to know where the money is being invested,” Alonso told the Herald.
This year alone, the district earned $8 million in revenue from the program, which is earmarked for public safety initiatives under state law.
The audit will assess the school bus safety program’s outcomes and internal processes and procedures.
“While the original intent of this initiative was to enhance student safety using advanced technology, recent developments have raised valid concerns that must be addressed head-on,” Alonso said in a statement.
The Florida law that allows school districts to issue and collect revenue from these citations has recently been amended, although it still awaits a signature by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The law will give school districts the authority to handle the appeals process instead of local courts, which were overburdened.
The audit will evaluate and report on how those legislative changes could affect the structure, legal authority, and operations of the district’s school bus safety program.
A preliminary report by the superintendent and general counsel is expected at the June 11 Fiscal Accountability & Government Relations Committee meeting. That report will provide clarity on the legal and financial implications of the amended law.
The final audit will be presented at the Sept. 16 school board meeting.
Despite the issues, board members emphasized that the original goal of the program was to protect student safety as children board and exit school buses.
“I can’t think of anything that is more important than this,” said board member Joe Geller at Wednesday’s meeting, a former legislator who blamed the complaints on how the law was written in Tallahassee.
Board member Monica Colucci acknowledged the program’s complications but expressed confidence in the vendor.
“There were many moving parts in the implementation,” she said. “But I have confidence that the vendor will solve the problems with the program.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM.
