East Central ISD outlines cost and data plan for SB546 seat-belt reporting; retrofit could exceed $3 million
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Summary
District staff told trustees they will report fleet counts and retrofit cost estimates under Senate Bill 546; staff estimated about 119 buses in the fleet and a retrofit cost in the low millions, and advised the board on strategic procurement choices ahead of a 2027 statewide aggregation by TEA.
East Central ISD administrators briefed trustees on new state reporting requirements under Senate Bill 546, which directs districts to document bus fleet seat-belt status and estimate retrofit costs for submission to TEA.
Staff said the district must upload fleet data and vendor quotes by May 29 so the TEA commissioner can aggregate statewide costs beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The district reported a fleet of about 119 buses and presented vendor-sourced retrofit estimates that put the district total “almost” at $3.2 million (staff cited per-bus retrofit ranges of $25,000–$30,000). Staff also noted a new-bus delta: a bus without three-point seat belts was quoted at roughly $157,000, while an equivalent new bus equipped with three-point belts could cost an additional $8,000–$16,000 depending on vendor and specification.
Trustees discussed feasibility, enforcement of buckle use, bus lifecycles and vendor service capacity. Staff noted that certain bus brands (International) may offer standardized seat structures that simplify retrofits, while others (Bluebird, Thomas) pose more complex retrofit challenges. Staff recommended the board formally acknowledge feasibility concerns in the required TEA submission and said the district will revisit replacement cycles and procurement strategy given the new compliance timeline.
No funding commitment was presented; staff characterized the current step as data collection and strategy development to inform future budget decisions and possible legislative advocacy for state funding.