New School Bus Camera Payment Plan Approved In Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, MD — A new revenue sharing agreement between the school system and the vendor that installs stop-arm enforcement cameras on school buses was approved Monday by the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Under this revised contract, Montgomery County will receive 40 percent of the fine revenue coming from the cameras recording drivers who pass school buses while the stop-arm is out. BusPatrol America LLC — the Virginia-based company that outfitted 1,382 county school buses with these surveillance cameras — will pocket 60 percent of the money generated from traffic tickets.

The school board's decision to approve the deal comes roughly seven months after the county inspector general first raised concerns about the partnership.

In June 2016, Montgomery County Public Schools entered a contract with Force Multiplier Solutions, now BusPatrol America, to get cameras — including exterior stop-arm cameras — installed in all school buses. Through this system, drivers who fail to wait for signalized stopped school buses will be captured in enforcement photos and issued a $250 fine.

In his report, Montgomery County Inspector General Edward L. Blansitt III said he has no problem with the school system trying to keep children safe, but rather takes issue with the agreement officials have with FMS.

Robert Leonard, the former CEO of Force Multiplier Solutions, was recently convicted of felony crimes involving bribes and kickbacks paid to Dallas, Texas, public officials that would further the company's business interests. Those interests, according to Blansitt, were mainly tied to the implementation and operation of a School Bus Stop Light Camera enforcement program, similar to the one in Montgomery County.

"During that trip, the former president and chief operating officer of FMS, who is currently the president of BusPatrol, introduced (Montgomery County Public Schools) and (Montgomery County Police Department) officials to the Dallas County Schools Superintendent 'to get feedback on the product and the safety program,'" the report read. "The Dallas County Schools Superintendent subsequently pleaded guilty to receiving bribes regarding the operation of this program in Dallas. In deciding to contract with FMS, (Montgomery County Public Schools) and (the Montgomery County Government) appear to have relied upon information provided by the Dallas County Schools Superintendent who, unknown to (the Montgomery County Police Department) and (Montgomery County Public Schools), was actively accepting bribes from FMS while recommending the program."

Blansitt wrote that there is no information that suggests Montgomery County "violated a rule, law, or procedure" or "had any inappropriate relationship with the vendor." But he expressed concerns he has with county officials who have not re-evaluated the agreement they had with FMS.

Under the original contract, FMS was hired to install surveillance cameras in more than 1,000 county school buses at no cost. In return, the money generated in traffic violations would go to FMS until the company could recover the cost of installing the cameras, estimated at $18 million.

As more information about the case involving FMS' CEO and Texas public officials came to light, Montgomery County signed a new contract and memorandum of understanding, assigning FMS' duties to BusPatrol America.

The new deal approved by Montgomery County's school board on Monday says that BusPatrol America will "make a lump sum payment of $1,568,385.60" to resolve any discrepancies in the previous payment plan prior to Sept. 1, 2019 and "assist Montgomery County in defraying any costs that it may have incurred in connection with the School Bus Safety Camera Program prior to that date."

In addition to providing the county with a lump sum, BusPatrol America has agreed to invest "up to $25,000 from its share of revenues to support public education activities to promote public awareness of the School Bus Safety Camera Program," according to the contract.