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Lubbock ISD board declines to buy all buses with three-point seat belts now, cites budget constraints
Summary
After reviewing new legislation and costs, the Lubbock ISD board voted 7–0 that the district cannot afford to purchase all buses with three-point seat belts immediately; staff said the district has 58 buses with three-point belts and 99 without and will buy belts as buses are replaced and seek grants.
Lubbock ISD trustees voted unanimously not to move forward immediately with purchasing all new school buses equipped with three-point seat belts, citing current budget constraints. The public determination was required by new state legislation.
During the discussion, district presenters described the tradeoffs between purchasing new buses and retrofitting older vehicles. Administrators noted the district already has 58 buses equipped with three-point seat belts and 99 buses that are not equipped. Staff recommended purchasing three-point-seat-belt buses as part of the routine vehicle-replacement cycle and pursuing grant funding to offset costs, rather than attempting an immediate, systemwide replacement.
"We have 58 buses right now that have threepoint seat belts. Um but we still have 99 that do not," the administration said in its presentation, noting the district will continue to replace older vehicles with three-point-seat-belt models when budgets allow and to seek grants that may assist with the transition.
The board then approved the administration’s recommended determination — that the district's budget does not allow for the full purchase at this time — by a show-of-hands vote, recorded as 7–0.
What happens next: District staff said they will continue to include three-point-seat-belt buses in future purchases and pursue grant opportunities to accelerate the replacement timeline.
