Back to School: What You Need to Know to Keep Students Safe

KNOX COUNTY, Ind. (We Are Knox County) - Students in Knox County head back to school this week.

As they return to class, safety on and around school grounds is a top priority of many, including the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Major James Wehrman with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office tells WAKC News that people ignoring school bus stop arms are the most common traffic violation during the school year.

Wehrman says the sheriff’s office partners with North Knox School Corporation, where stop arm cameras on every bus help catch violators.

A video of the vehicle is then emailed directly to Wehrman.

“Once I get the video, I do a BMV records search for the owner,” Wehrman explained.

“They are then sent a citation in the mail with a court date.”

Between May 2021 and May 2025, the sheriff’s office issued 172 tickets for stop arm violations.

Wehrman says that deputies will be patrolling to make sure students are safe on the bus.

The sheriff’s office receives a SAVE (Stop Arm Violation Enforcement) grant each year which pays deputies overtime to follow school buses and watch for violations.

Wehrman reminds drivers that flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean it’s time to prepare to stop, not speed up.

“Yellow means prepare to stop,” Wehrman said.

“This doesn’t mean speed up before they turn red.”

There are no warnings for stop arm violations — only tickets.

“Once you are convicted of the first offense, the second offense is a misdemeanor, an arrestable offense in the State of Indiana,” said Wehrman.

Drivers must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm on two-lane roads and multi-lane roads without a barrier, regardless of direction.

On multi-lane roads divided by a grassy or concrete barrier, only drivers traveling behind the bus are required to stop.

The sheriff’s office is also reminding students, parents, and visitors that weapons of any kind are prohibited on school property, including school buses.

Indiana law bans firearms, knives, and other weapons on school grounds, and signs have been posted outside schools in Knox County to make that clear.

According to Wehrman, the decision to post the signs came after three separate incidents involving weapons on school property.

Carrying a firearm on school property, a school bus, or at a school function is a Level 6 felony under Indiana law.

That charge carries a penalty of six months to two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Possessing a knife in those same areas is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.