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Conroe ISD reports retrofit, replacement options to meet Texas’ SB 546 bus‑belt deadline
Summary
District transportation staff told the board that, of 599 buses in the fleet, 279 have three‑point belts, 74 have two‑point lap belts and 246 have no belts. Retrofitting eligible buses would cost about $10 million; full replacement is roughly $54 million. Staff flagged supply constraints and a phased retrofit/replace hybrid as practical approaches.
Transportation leadership presented the district’s required report under Senate Bill 546 on April 21, outlining the current fleet configuration and options to comply with the 2029 three‑point seat‑belt requirement.
Director of Transportation (Mr. McCord) described the fleet of 599 school buses: 279 buses already have three‑point seat belts, 74 have two‑point lap belts and 246 buses have no belts. He estimated the cost to retrofit approximately 320 buses that would need three‑point belts at about $10 million; purchasing brand‑new buses with three‑point belts for the entire fleet would approach $54 million at current quotes. Staff noted that some buses are approaching typical industry useful life and that retrofitting older units can be economically impractical because retrofit costs may exceed bus value.
Presenters warned of practical constraints: vendors can retrofit a limited number of buses per week and parts (three‑point belts certified for school‑bus retrofit) are in constrained supply. Options discussed included (a) retrofit buses manufactured since 2013 and replace older buses, (b) phased replacement as bond or grant funding becomes available, or (c) seek significant grant funding to accelerate replacement. Staff said retrofitting the needed buses could be completed but would require roughly $10 million and manufacturer capacity may limit throughput to about one bus per week per retrofit line.
Trustees asked about funding sources and timelines; staff said the district receives roughly $7 million in state transportation funding and spends about $35 million annually on transportation. Board members and staff discussed recruitment and retention of drivers and how fleet reliability (air conditioning, newer buses) affects staffing. Transportation announced a bus recruiting event scheduled for April 29 at the Jet Center to address driver shortages.
No board action was required on April 21; staff offered to return with refined cost estimates and implementation scenarios.
