School is now in session, and so is the daily commute of students around the City on school buses. North Royalton Police Chief Keith Tarase reminds motorists to keep this in mind and act accordingly regarding the laws about stopping around school buses.
According to the laws of the State of Ohio, when approaching a school bus that is in the process of dropping off children:
– Drivers approaching a school bus in any direction must stop at least ten feet from the front or rear of the school bus. That goes for drivers who are facing the bus, or behind the bus. They cannot proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the school bus driver motions for the driver to proceed.
– When a highway has four or more lanes, a driver approaching from the opposite direction of the school bus does not need to stop. However, those driving in the same direction as the school bus must stop.
According to Tarase, 11 school bus violations were issued during the 2023-24 school year. That number is down, from the 29 school bus violations that were issued for the 2022-2023 school year. At that time, the number of violations had increased over the past several years. North Royalton Law Director Tom Kelly had stated that, “I’m sure it’s all distracted drivers, but these distractions have to end.” That is why the North Royalton City Council adopted legislation that increased the fine from $500 to $1,000, for those who fail to stop. Last year, they also adopted legislation that makes the offense a first-degree misdemeanor.
North Royalton’s codified ordinance states that those who violate “may be fined an amount not to exceed $1,000,” and has now been replaced with “is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree as defined in the Ohio Revised Code and shall be sentenced according to the provisions of NRCO Section 698.02 and subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 and a term of incarceration of not more than 180 days.”
“Our bus drivers do a great job of providing a safe trip to and from school for our students,” said North Royalton City Schools Superintendent, Mike Laub. “As a community, we need to remember to stop when the bus is at a stop and make sure we allow students a safe environment to board or depart the bus. I want to thank our police department for making this a point of emphasis as they patrol our roads during the school year. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our students back to the 2024-2025 school year!”

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer