San Angelo ISD to accelerate bus replacements after state restraint requirement cited
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Summary
District transportation staff said recent legislative changes described in the presentation require three-point restraints on buses; the district plans to move up its replacement schedule to meet the deadline, reported it has about 85 buses, a roughly $1,000,000 annual replacement budget, and a quoted retrofit cost of about $1,600,000 for older buses.
San Angelo ISD transportation staff updated trustees Feb. 9 on plans to accelerate bus replacements after citing a state legislative requirement for three-point restraints at each seating location.
Transportation staff (presenting as Mr. Livingston) said the district already has more than half its fleet compliant with the requirement and has ordered additional buses that will arrive this spring. To meet the compliance deadline listed in meeting materials as Sept. 1, 1929 (staff described this as a future compliance date; the context and timeline indicate the intended year is 2029), the district proposed moving next year’s scheduled replacements up by one year so the replacement cycle will return to a six- or seven-bus-per-year cadence thereafter.
Staff said the district operates roughly 85 buses and budgets about $1,000,000 annually for replacements, though bus prices and lead times vary. A-to-Z Bus Sales was cited as the district’s dealer; staff also cited Bluebird as a manufacturer they use for fleet consistency. Staff said retrofitting existing buses is possible but typically voids manufacturer warranties and would require third-party work; staff quoted about $1,600,000 to retrofit the fleet elements still noncompliant and recommended purchasing replacements from fund balance instead of retrofitting older vehicles.
Trustees asked about vendor selection, lead times (staff said 7–8 months), whether the recent campus closures will change route requirements, and whether the quoted retrofit cost included warranties or spare-parts considerations. Staff said they will provide follow-up budget details and confirmed the district can adapt routes after rezoning.