Harlandale ISD tallies buses for SB 546 report; retrofit estimate $35,000'$40,000 per bus

Harlandale ISD staff briefed trustees on Senate Bill 546, which requires three-point seat belts for every passenger on Texas school buses by Sept. 1, 2029, and a May 30, 2026 reporting deadline to the Texas Education Agency. The district reported 27 buses already equipped with three-point belts (model year 2019 and newer) and 29 buses that would need retrofitting (model years ranging from 2007 to 2018).

The presenter cited an estimated retrofit cost of $35,000 to $40,000 per bus. Using that figure, retrofitting 29 buses would be roughly $1.05 million to $1.16 million; the presenter summarized it as about $1.2 million. The presenter said the TEA has not yet specified how much funding, if any, will be provided to cover retrofit or replacement costs and that possible grant opportunities could appear after districts submit required counts.

Board members asked practical questions about seat-belt capacity per seat (three-point belts can be configured "three to a seat" for elementary seating; secondary seating may effectively be two per seat depending on student size), bus useful life (12'15 years with good maintenance), purchase cost for a new bus (stated in the meeting as about $155,000'$156,000), and whether bond proceeds could be used (yes, but no bond money is currently available for that purpose). Staff said purchase orders are not paid until materials are received and directors sign invoices. District staff said they will compile the counts, estimated costs and board documentation for TEA reporting.