Winter Garden Launches $100 School Zone Camera Fines | The Locally Times
The program, launching at two schools, was approved without public data on speeding incidents. Financial projections and plans for the revenue remain undisclosed.
The City of Winter Garden will begin issuing $100 civil citations for speeding in a school zone on March 25, 2026, marking the start of a new automated enforcement program. According to a February 3 announcement from the city, the program’s first phase targets two schools, with plans for a city-wide expansion in the next school year. The first set of cameras to go from a warning period to active enforcement is at Esteem Academy, located at 12301 Warrior Road. Starting March 25, drivers recorded traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit will receive a $100 fine. A second location, Whispering Oak Elementary School at 15300 Stoneybrook W. Parkway, will follow, with its cameras beginning to issue financial penalties on April 1, 2026, after its warning period concludes on March 31. City records state the cameras will be active on days when school is in session. The enforcement window covers the entire school day, plus the 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after it ends. The city’s announcement specifies that the violation is a civil penalty and will not affect a driver’s license privileges or insurance rates. ## The Path to Implementation A 2023 State of Florida law authorized municipalities to use speed-detection camera systems to enforce school zone speed limits, which enabled the local program. Following the state law, the Winter Garden City Commissioners passed a local ordinance in January 2025 that approved the creation of the program. The Winter Garden Police Department will enforce the program. A city statement noted the program's stated goal is to increase safety for children and staff by deterring speeding. The city plans to expand the program during the 2026/2027 school year, with the announcement indicating cameras will be activated at all other schools within Winter Garden. ## Unanswered Questions on Scope and Justification While the initial phase of the program is clearly defined, public records lack detail on its future expansion and the data used to justify its creation. The city’s announcement does not name the specific schools that will be included in the 2026/2027 expansion, nor does it provide a timeline for their individual activation. Furthermore, the public announcement states the program’s intent is to enhance safety, but it does not cite any specific data that informed the decision. The records made public do not include information on traffic studies, collision statistics, or speeding incident reports for the Esteem Academy or Whispering Oak Elementary zones that were presented to the City Commissioners ahead of their January 2025 ordinance. The city has not published metrics that the Winter Garden Police Department will use to measure the program's effectiveness beyond the number of citations issued. ## Financial Details Withheld from Public The city’s announcement provides no fiscal details for the new $100 civil citation program. Public records do not contain projected revenue from the fines at the first two schools or from the planned city-wide expansion. The records also do not specify how the funds will be used, such as for public safety, general funds, or covering program costs. Details regarding the city’s contract with the vendor that supplied the speed-detection camera system are also not included in the announcement. Information concerning the procurement process, the total cost of installing and maintaining the camera infrastructure, and the existence of any revenue-sharing agreement between the city and the private vendor has not been made public.