Godley ISD reviews school bus fleet and state seat‑belt law as district plans compliance steps

District transportation staff used the meeting to mark National School Bus Safety Week and to brief trustees on the district’s bus fleet and implications of state law requiring three‑point seat belts.

Transportation staff (Jimmy Palcic and team) said Godley ISD operates 25 morning/afternoon routes with 38 buses in the fleet; about half of the buses (19) do not have seat belts, while the buses that do have seat belts use 3‑point restraints. Staff estimated retrofitting an older bus with 3‑point seat belts would cost about $30,000–$40,000 per bus because seats and floors must be replaced to meet installation requirements.

Board discussion referenced Senate Bill 546, which requires three‑point seat belts but includes a statutory path for districts to declare retrofitting infeasible for budget reasons. If the board determines the district’s budget cannot purchase new buses with 3‑point belts or retrofit safely, the district must present the bus counts (number without seat belts, number with 2‑point, number with 3‑point) and estimated retrofit costs at a public meeting and submit that information to the Texas Education Agency. Administration said the information presented at the meeting—fleet counts and cost estimates—was intended to help satisfy that requirement.

Board members and staff discussed prioritizing seat-belted buses for activities during the day and reevaluating replacement schedules over the long term. Transportation staff noted that every bus purchased since 2020 included seat belts.