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Transportation director outlines SB 546 seat‑belt timeline; MISD has 60 of 100 buses compliant
Summary
Montgomery ISD transportation director reported the district runs 76 routes (146 runs), transports about 4,200 students daily and has a 100‑bus fleet; 60 buses meet the new Senate Bill 546 seat‑belt requirement, while 40 will require retrofit or replacement with estimated retrofit costs around $40,000 per bus.
Karent, the district’s director of transportation, briefed trustees on the department’s operations and obligations under new state requirements in Senate Bill 546.
Karent said transportation runs 76 routes totaling 146 runs each day, moves more than 4,200 students and drives more than 7,000 miles daily to support district operations. "Our department is made of 63 drivers, 14 monitors, and a strong support team behind them," Karent said, underscoring the department’s scale.
On SB 546, which requires three‑point seat belt systems on school buses, Karent said the district must inventory its fleet and report cost estimates as part of a 2026–2029 phase‑in and that compliance for all buses is required by Sept. 1, 2029 unless exempt. "We have 100 buses in our fleet. Sixty of those meet the Senate Bill 546 requirements," Karent said, noting that about 40 buses are currently non‑compliant. Karent cited an estimated retrofit cost of approximately $40,000 per bus (including seats, labor and reinforcement materials) and said full replacement of older units — at roughly $150,000 or more per new bus — may be more cost‑effective for some vehicles.
Karent recommended evaluating each vehicle individually, prioritizing high‑use routes and aligning decisions with the district’s replacement cycle to spread costs responsibly. Trustees discussed that statewide demand for retrofits and replacement buses could create supply shortages and make the 2029 timeline challenging if state funding does not materialize. Karent said the district will submit inventory and financing ability information to the state as required and monitor available funding sources.
The presentation was informational; no vote was taken.
