TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Drivers in Hillsborough County will soon face longer enforcement hours in school zones.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced that speed cameras outside 29 schools will no longer be limited to drop-off and dismissal windows. Instead, the cameras will operate from 6:40 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday, covering the full school day.
The change comes after parents and neighbors gave feedback that drivers continued to speed even after morning and afternoon rush times.
Betty Ballack, who lives near Front Elementary, said she has seen cars ignore the school zone signs and had to step in to protect children.
“One morning, I actually had to help a kid that might have been nervous about crossing, and I actually had to help him cross the road,” she said.
Lailah Schabazz, who has children at Frost Elementary, supports the expanded hours.
“If people get a ticket for speeding in this area, I feel like they will start following directions over here,” she said.
Undersheriff Tom St. John with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the decision was also about clarity for drivers.
“By providing the speed zone enforcement throughout the entire day, hopefully it will make it clear traveling through those areas they will slow down,” he said.
From August 2024 to July 2025, the cameras issued nearly 6,000 citations and collected more than $310,000 in fines.
Nearly half of that money funded public safety programs, including hiring additional crossing guards at a cost of $15,000.
The county said the longer hours will help eliminate confusion in zones where multiple schools share the same roadway.
Officials also hope the expanded enforcement encourages drivers to think twice before speeding through school areas.
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