Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Edcouch‑Elsa ISD outlines plan to comply with Texas SB 546 requiring three‑point seat belts on school buses
Summary
District staff presented a fleet data update tied to Senate Bill 546: Edcouch‑Elsa ISD plans to replace three buses per year and retrofit several others to meet the state’s requirement that buses have three‑point safety belts by Sept. 1, 2029.
District staff presented a fleet‑data update on Senate Bill 546 and told the board the district is prepared to submit required information to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) before the end of the 2025–26 school year.
The presentation summarized the state timeline and district plan: TEA will compile fleet data from districts statewide and calculate total financial assistance needed; by Sept. 1, 2029, Senate Bill 546 requires that all school buses transporting children be equipped with three‑point safety belts.
Edcouch‑Elsa ISD’s plan, as described by staff, calls for the district to replace three regular buses per year (each estimated at about $160,000), replace two activity buses, and retrofit eight buses with three‑point lap‑and‑shoulder seats at an estimated $33,000 per retrofit. The presenter said the district has prepared its report and will submit it once TEA issues formal guidance on data filing.
Trustees asked technical questions about the belts. A board member asked whether the systems would use ALR (automatic locking retractor) hardware; staff replied the district’s plan is for standard three‑point shoulder/ lap belts and confirmed there are three belts per seat.
No vote was taken; staff said the district is ready to submit data after TEA publishes filing instructions and that the plan aims to meet the statutory compliance date of Sept. 1, 2029.
