Community of Fulton County coming together to foot the bill for improved bus safety

ROCHESTER, Ind.-- Fulton County Businesses, former bus drivers, and community members are footing the bill to increase bus safety in light of the three kids killed as the walked to their bus stop last year.

They're all pitching in to buy new high definition cameras for buses across the Rochester Community School District.

16 is the magic number for the school district.

So far, the community has donated the means for new HD cameras for about 13 out of 16 of the buses.

The school district tells ABC 57, it's all to prevent another tragic bus crash from happening again.

“That day was a tragedy for our community," said Jana Vance, superintendent for Rochester Community School District.

On Tuesday, Woodlawn Hospital made a contribution of $10,000 dollars.

“On behalf of woodlawn hospital, we’d like to make a contribution to the school bus camera program of 10,000 dollars," said John Alley, President and CEO of Woodlawn Hospital.

Just one of the 13 donations already made to install the new cameras to buses.

“Just as we were walking out to do this we had two more local donors call and say they were going to call and give a camera,” said Vance.

The cameras will be able to capture HD images and video of drivers who fail to stop for the buses. 

Rochester School Corporation Transportation Director, Don King, says, “This one points towards the front and as the vehicle is coming, this one will take a picture of the back. As it passes by and goes through the stop arm, this picture will record through the stop arm and get the license plate. It goes to the DVR recorder, inside the bus. Then we could pull it onto a laptop or we can pull the hard-drive out and put it on a desk computer.”

Now, they're challenging the community to have the safety of their students in mind. 

“It’s the right thing to do. The community needs to get behind this. Everyone needs to be a part of this program that keeps our kids safe. It shouldn’t have happened but it did but move on and we support you," said Alley.

Cameras have been ordered for the remaining buses. On Monday, the parents of the three children who died in the tragic October bus accident themselves are expected to donate as well.