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Tomball ISD board invokes statutory exception on bus seat belts, citing costs and funding uncertainty
Summary
Citing estimated retrofit and replacement costs it cannot absorb, the Tomball ISD Board unanimously determined under Senate Bill 546 that its budget does not permit immediate purchase/retrofit of 3-point seat belts for school buses and said it will advocate to the state for funding; administration noted the district had zero student injuries in the last decade attributable to lack of seat belts.
TOMBALL — The Tomball ISD Board voted unanimously May 11 to exercise the statutory exception in Senate Bill 546, determining the district’s current budget does not permit retrofitting or replacing school buses to meet the statute’s 3-point seat-belt requirement.
A board member moving the motion cited cost estimates presented during the meeting and the district’s broader fiscal picture. "In accordance with Senate Bill 546...the board determined that the district's current budget does not permit the purchase, replacement, or retrofitting of school buses to equip them with required seat belts at this time," the motion stated.
Administrators told trustees the retrofit and replacement cost for the fleet would be large — a district estimate discussed in the presentation put the full compliance price in the low- to mid-teens of millions of dollars — and noted the district has until 2029 to comply. Transportation and safety staff also reported no student injuries in the past 10 years that could be attributed to the absence of seat belts on district buses.
The nut graf — why it matters: the vote allows the district to defer immediate retrofit or replacement while continuing to seek state support and to phase in newer buses through the district’s normal replacement cycle; the unanimous board vote signals unified advocacy to state leaders for funding help.
Board members discussed trade-offs, safety priorities and the path forward. One trustee said attrition and scheduled bus purchases would substantially reduce the number of noncompliant buses by 2029, while another asked whether the district should reallocate funds from other safety priorities; trustees agreed to continue advocacy at the state level.
The motion passed unanimously. The district said it will continue to purchase compliant buses going forward, use attrition to reduce the noncompliant fleet, and press for state funding to achieve full compliance by the statutory deadline.
Quotes and attributions above come directly from the public meeting transcript and are attributed to board members and staff recorded in the meeting record.
