Winter Garden to Expand School Speed Cameras City-Wide | The Locally Times
Winter Garden will expand its $100-fine school speed camera program city-wide in 2026-2027, but has not released cost or revenue details.
Following a pilot program at two schools, the City of Winter Garden will expand its automated speed-detection cameras to all other city schools during the 2026-2027 school year. The expansion was confirmed in a city record dated March 25, 2026. The program is currently active at Esteem Academy and Whispering Oak Elementary School. The system began issuing warnings in January 2026, according to a city announcement. For Esteem Academy, the warning period ended March 25, 2026, when the system began issuing $100 civil citations. The warning period for Whispering Oak Elementary runs through March 31, 2026, with citations starting April 1, 2026. ## Program Operations and Penalties The Winter Garden Police Department enforces the camera systems, which operate on school days from 30 minutes before classes begin until 30 minutes after they end. A city public notice states the program’s goal is to increase safety in school zones by deterring speeding. A violation is triggered when a vehicle exceeds the posted school zone speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. According to the city record, the resulting $100 civil citation does not affect a person’s driving privileges or vehicle insurance rates. The program is authorized by a 2023 Florida law allowing camera-based speed enforcement in school zones. The Winter Garden City Commissioners passed a local ordinance approving the system in January 2025. ## Key Details on Cost and Rollout Not Released While the city plans to expand the program to all other Winter Garden schools during the 2026-2027 school year, public records do not list the specific campuses or the criteria for their selection. The announcement also lacks a specific timeline, not indicating whether the expansion will be simultaneous or phased. Financial details are also absent from the public record. The city has not disclosed the total cost of the system, including the initial installation and the projected expense for the city-wide expansion. Records do not specify whether a private vendor is contracted to install or operate the cameras, nor do they include projected annual revenue from citations or how those funds would be allocated. The process for a resident to contest a citation is also not outlined in the announcement.