School is back in session next month, and officials are reminding drivers not to pass stopped buses.
Last year, thousands of local drivers failed to do so. Monroe County reported this week that during the 2025-26 school year, it issued 6,197 tickets to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses.
The tickets were issued through the county's School Bus Safety Program, which began in October 2023. Nearly 20,000 citations have been issued over the life of the program.
The program is a partnership between Monroe County and the firm BusPatrol. When school districts opt in, the company installs cameras on their buses to record drivers who pass stopped school buses that have their stop signs deployed and red lights flashing.
The company's staff reviews the clips and when they see drivers breaking the law, they forward the footage to the county, which then issues a ticket to the vehicle's owner. The first violation carries a $250 fine.
The county and districts pay for the program using the fines. All suburban districts in Monroe County are eligible to participate in the program, and so far nine have signed on. The city of Rochester has a similar program of its own.
A district-by-district breakdown of tickets issued this past school year follows:
- Brighton: 774
- East Irondequoit: 579
- Fairport: 88
- Greece: 2,339
- Hilton: 207
- Pittsford: 207
- Spencerport: 582
- Webster: 780
- West Irondequoit: 641
