Don’t contest, and you automatically owe $225. But if you do challenge the ticket and lose, your fine could escalate to $329.

Polk County’s school bus camera enforcement program is drawing renewed scrutiny as drivers hit with costly citations find it difficult – or financially risky – to challenge the fines.

Under the county’s Safe Stop program, drivers caught on camera allegedly passing a stopped school bus receive a $225 violation notice. However, records show that in Polk County, drivers are not given a clear opportunity to contest the violation immediately, as required by state law. Instead, the initial fine escalates to a $329 uniform traffic citation after 30 days, at which point drivers can finally request a court hearing—facing even higher costs and the risk of additional penalties, including possible license suspension.

Since the program launched earlier this school year, more than 11,400 violations have been issued, generating at least an estimated $1.3 million in revenue for the Polk County School District based on publicly available data. Most drivers, unaware they could challenge the ticket earlier, simply pay the fine. Those who do contest often face an uphill battle in court, and so far, most of those cases have yet to get their day in front of a judge.

The broader trend mirrors issues seen in Miami-Dade County, where similar bus camera enforcement programs have faced mounting criticism. In Miami-Dade, the sheriff recently suspended the program altogether, citing numerous problems.

Despite the controversy, Polk County continues issuing citations under a system operated by Verra Mobility – a private vendor already facing severe backlash across the country for alleged abuses of red-light camera programs. Verra Mobility takes the largest share of the collected fines, while the school district and Polk County Sheriff’s Office also benefit financially through a complex revenue-sharing arrangement.

Verra Mobility, in a written statement, maintains that Polk County’s program complies with current law but admitted “the current school bus stop arm legislation should be modified.” Local officials, including the school district and the sheriff’s office, have declined to provide on-camera interviews regarding the program’s design or fairness.

Meanwhile, thousands of Polk County drivers face steep financial consequences for exercising their basic right to contest citations, raising further questions about whether the Safe Stop program’s focus is truly student safety, or simply revenue generation.