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Boerne ISD outlines costs, timeline to meet Senate Bill 546 three-point seat-belt mandate
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Summary
Boerne ISD transportation director Melanie Lee told trustees the district has 38 buses with three-point harnesses, 8 two-point buses (special education), and 29 buses with no belts; replacement would cost about $6.3 million while retrofit quotes total roughly $594,747. The law’s long-range requirement takes effect Sept. 1, 2029.
Melanie Lee, the district’s director of transportation, updated the Boerne ISD board on Senate Bill 546 and what it will require of the district.
"As of 2018, the law requires that all school buses have seat belts if they are produced in 2018 or after," Lee said, and she added SB 546 "pulls those previous exemptions" so that all buses used to transport students must have three-point harnesses by Sept. 1, 2029. Lee said TEA must collect statewide inventories and districts must present local counts publicly as part of the bill’s short-term requirements.
Why it matters: SB 546 removes prior exemptions for pre-2018 buses and creates a statewide reporting and planning obligation that could require districts to retrofit or replace older vehicles before the 2029 deadline. Trustees asked how the changes will affect scheduling, budgets and maintenance.
Key details: Lee reported the district fleet includes 38 buses with three-point seat belts, 8 special-education buses with two-point harnesses, and 29 buses with no seat belts. She provided cost estimates the district had prepared: approximately $6,313,680 to replace noncompliant buses with new vehicles and about $594,746.59 to retrofit eligible buses.
On enforcement and operations, Lee said drivers are encouraged to interact with students during loading to prompt seat-belt use and that the student handbook requires students to wear belts when a bus is equipped with them. "If they do have an issue with the student not wearing a seat belt, they can always report that like any other student code of conduct violation back to the campus administration," a staff member added.
Trustees asked practical questions about mileage and vehicle retirement. Lee said the district begins closer scrutiny of buses above roughly 250,000 miles and balances repair history (for example, whether a vehicle has had a major engine replacement) against replacement decisions.
Reporting: Lee said the district will upload required inventory and quote information to the Sentinel system and include board minutes showing the public presentation of those data as part of TEA’s reporting requirements.
Budget implications and next steps: Board members asked whether the district should begin retrofitting now or wait for potential state funding. Lee said timing will depend on the district’s replacement cycle and recent purchases; she noted seven buses were acquired last year and the district will "crunch the numbers" to determine whether to retrofit immediately or await legislative funding. Trustees said the estimates should inform upcoming budget workshops and legislative priority-setting.
The presentation closed with board members thanking the transportation team; no formal action was taken on SB 546 at the workshop.
