Clovis Unified spent $1.9M on ‘near real-time’ school bus surveillance. Here’s why
Clovis Unified upgraded its fleet of school buses to include a $1.9 million security camera system that will allow the district to monitor footage in “near real-time.”
Raj Nagara, chief technology officer for Clovis Unified, said the district piloted the new system, Verkada, in late January as a way to ensure students’ on-board safety. The major installation took place during spring break, and district spokesperson Kelly Avants said the project was covered by “one-time transportation dollars and Nov. 2024 bond funds earmarked for safety upgrades.”
Prior to the upgrade, camera footage was stored on buses, and the transportation department personnel had to wait for drivers to return from their routes before pulling the video and sifting through the footage. Sometimes, the footage would be corrupted or not working, Nagara said.
The new system allows transportation staff to view video and audio footage in “near real-time,” Nagara said. He said there won’t be anyone reviewing the cameras at all times, though staff will be able to access and pull footage while buses are still on their routes.
Following the upgrade, the district identified a gap when it came to searching for incidents by location, as there wasn’t a way to sort through footage for occurrences at specific stops or intersections.
As a result, Nagara and Verkada worked together to develop a search function that linked video footage with GPS data, which the administrator said was in the works for about six months.
The main impact has been efficiency, district officials said.
“According to our transportation team, the new system has in some cases saved them hours of time given that previously, a bus had to return to the transportation yard before video could be accessed (and routes can be several hours in length). Now, video can be accessed in close to real time, thus saving a significant amount of time for our staff,” Avants said.
Nagara said that the district’s next request will be to add a button that bus drivers can discreetly activate in order to signal for the district to review or pull the footage. He added that these upgrades benefit anyone that utilizes the Verkada system, not just Clovis Unified.
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 1:56 PM.
