LEESBURG, Fla. – Leesburg Police have dismissed dozens of speeding tickets after a motorist contacted News 6 with questions about her recent $100 citation that was issued using images captured with a school zone speed camera.
Miscommunication between the police department and the school district about summer school hours led to the agency erroneously issuing 37 citations to motorists after a lower speed limit in school zones had expired.
Carolyn Block received a violation notice alleging her vehicle had been photographed speeding through a school zone near Leesburg High School on June 24.
“School is out, and I didn’t think anything of it,” said Block, who was unaware at the time that summer school had begun at some Lake County campuses.
The 81-year-old motorist said she does not recall ever receiving a prior speeding ticket in her life.
Block contacted News 6 through our Results Desk, believing she unfairly received the ticket.
Block drove through the school zone at 36 mph, the violation notice indicated, just slightly above the usual 35 mph speed limit along that stretch of West Main Street.
That is not why Block received a speeding ticket.
Instead, Block was cited for exceeding a lower 20 mph speed limit that is in place when school is in session.
[VIDEO: When do school zones start and stop for summer break?]
Law enforcement agencies can use cameras to issue citations to the registered owners of vehicles that violate school zone speed limits under a Florida law that went into effect two years ago.
The law allows camera speed enforcement to occur 30 minutes before, during, and 30 minutes after a regularly scheduled school session. That includes summer school, police said.
News 6 was there when Leesburg started its program last August.
After News 6 contacted Lake County Schools and the Leesburg Police Department with questions about Block’s ticket, the law enforcement agency discovered a miscommunication had occurred about summer school hours.
According to police, a vice principal originally told the agency summer school was in session from 8:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
With that understanding, officers enforced the school zone speed limit until 2:00 p.m. when summer school sessions began at Leesburg High on June 9.
“Following your inquiry, we reached out to the principal for further clarification,” said Lt. Shannon Walsh, a Leesburg Police Department spokesperson. “We were informed that while staff hours are 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., student hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.”
Since students were released from class 30 minutes earlier than police originally thought, any school zone speeding tickets issued after 1:30 p.m. using cameras were invalid.
[ASK TROOPER STEVE: Do school zones stay in effect during the summer?]
Block drove through the school zone at 1:52 p.m., her violation noted, more than 20 minutes after the road’s regular 35 mph speed limit had resumed.
Leesburg police immediately dismissed 37 speed violations, including the one sent to Block. Seven motorists who had already paid the $100 fine will be refunded, the agency said.
“From the beginning, the primary goal of our school zone camera enforcement has been voluntary compliance,” Walsh told News 6. “We have consistently erred on the side of the motorist, and any discrepancies are promptly addressed, with citations voided when appropriate. Our top priority remains the safety of students traveling to and from school, and we continue to urge all drivers to slow down and remain alert in school zones.”
The Leesburg Police Department posted on social media on Friday, explaining what happened and how News 6 brought it to their attention.
— Leesburg Police (@LeesburgPolice1) July 11, 2025
Block was happy to learn her citation had been recalled.
“Wow. Thank you for all the work your team has done to resolve this matter,” Block told News 6. “There are so many people, even in my community here, a hundred dollars is a lot of money for them.”
If you have any tips you’d like to submit or an issue you’d like us to look into, click here to visit our Results Desk.