Rochester Schools receive donations to equip buses with stop arm cameras

ROCHESTER, Ind. -- Next time you think about illegally passing a Rochester school bus, you could be on camera.

After three kids were killed in Fulton County at their Tippecanoe valley bus stop, a community close by is making an effort to make sure that never happens again.

At an emotional meeting Monday, Jana Vance, the superintendent of Rochester Schools, recognized donors because their contributions could help save kid’s lives.

“On October 30 there was a tragedy that rocked our community,” Vance said. “And as that incident was unfolding and as I was there at the scene, I made a commitment to this district that we would do everything that we can to make sure this never happens again.”

Vance stayed true to that commitment and Monday, generous donors helped to make stop arm cameras on all 18 Rochester school buses a reality.

One of those donors was Brittany and Shane Ingle, the parents of Mason, Alivia, and Xzavier, who all tragically died at their bus stop when a car illegally passed a stopped school bus.

“We don’t have time to think about it, we need to do something about it and this is the first step,” Brittany said. “It gives you just that hope to save somebody else’s family from going through what we’re going through.”

Brittany and Shane donated $2,150 to Rochester Schools, enough for one stop arm camera.

“We really appreciate the community, the Rochester community, for taking this as seriously as it needed to be taken,” Shane said. “It was a privilege for us to donate and I’m sure it was a privilege for everybody else to donate. Kid safety is the most important thing.”

What the money from these donations will go to will bring peace of mind to more than just parents.

“Well, you have moments of sheer panic when you see a car come forward or go around the side you think where are the kids? Are the kids gonna step out?” Don Meyer said, a Rochester Schools bus driver. “These cameras will hopefully cause a bus driver not to have to go through a lifetime of nightmares and families not to have to go through such an indescribable loss. That’s the bottom line.”

The money from the donations is enough for 10 school buses. The school corporation still needs a few more donations before they’ll be able to get cameras on all of the buses.

The cameras will be fixed on the buses one at a time over the next few months.