LPOSD recognizes deputy for stop-arm enforcement, urges bus safety

SANDPOINT — Lake Pend Orielle School District staff applauded Deputy Robert Earl for helping keep local students safe, presenting him with a glass plaque recognizing his efforts during the 2025-26 school year. 

Earl began his career in 2004 with Stanislaus County in California before being moving to Idaho in 2018 to work with the Bonner County Sherrif's Office. 

Earl is one of many law enforcement officers who support LPOSD by educating citizens about traffic laws, but when it came to stop-arm violations, "he was on it every single time," said LPOSD Transportation Director James Koehler. 

A stop-arm violation occurs when a motorist fails to stop for a school bus that is stopped and displaying its flashing red lights and extended stop arm, according to Idaho Code. Drivers can only proceed once the school bus resumes motion, or when visual signals are no longer in use. 

Koehler said the district reported 42 stop-arm violations during the last school year. Twenty-four occurred within the Bonner County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction, and Earl investigated roughly three-quarters of them.

As the school year begins and school buses are seen more frequently on the roads, Earl encouraged the community to keep kids safe by knowing and following traffic laws. 

"Being that I have school-aged kids, it's definitely a big aspect in the back of my mind that kids are going to school safe," said Earl. 

District buses are equipped with cameras, and when motorists commit stop-arm violations, the footage is submitted to the Bonner County Sheriff's Office for investigation. 

"I knew that Deputy Earl was going to call within the next few hours saying, 'Hey James, can I come by and get the video?'" said Koehler. 

As school bus prepares to stop, it activates flashing yellow lights about 200 feet in advance, signaling motorists in both directions to slow down and prepare to stop. 

Earl said drivers should not treat that signal as a warning to speed past the bus before it stops. 

"A lot of the stops have kids crossing the roads," said Earl, adding that when drivers aren't paying attention, children walking in front of the school can be hit. 

A stop-arm violation can result in an infraction with a $300 fine for a first offense, and a misdemeanor with a $600 fine for a second offense. 

Koehler said it is also important for drivers to understand that stop-arm laws vary depending on the number of lanes on the road. 

For roads with three or fewer lanes, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop. For roads with four or more lanes, vehicles behind the bus must stop, while vehicles traveling in the opposite direction should proceed cautiously, said Koehler. 

The district operates 35 bus routes, with buses traveling about 1,800 miles a day. Despite the recorded stop-arm violations, Koehler said that "the percentage of the public doing the right thing is very high," but educating citizens remains critical.