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Fabens ISD hears SB 546 requirement for 3‑point seat belts; board questions budget impact
Summary
A presenter told the board that Texas Senate Bill 546 requires three‑point seat belts on buses and cited a retrofit cost estimate of $380,596; trustees questioned whether the district budget can support full replacement or retrofitting and a trustee moved to delay purchase given current funds.
A presenter told the Fabens ISD Board of Trustees that Senate Bill 546 requires three‑point seat belts on every bus and urged the board to consider whether to retrofit existing buses or replace them.
"It's a legislation that was passed by the Texas legislature on 09/01/2025," the presenter said, summarizing the law and the district's obligation to provide a cost study to TEA. The presenter gave a retrofit cost estimate of $380,596 and said the district would report the board’s decision to TEA and await further direction.
Trustees asked whether the current budget could sustain retrofitting or bus replacement. One trustee framed the item as a policy direction rather than an immediate purchase: "This is just to allow the purchase, right? Without the purchase of the seat belts or new buses?" Administration replied the presentation was intended to show numbers so the board could determine whether the budget allows it.
A trustee moved that the district’s budget is not able at this time to buy all the buses or seat belts. The transcript records the motion in open session but does not include a formal recorded vote or final tally tied specifically to this item during the discussion recorded here.
If the board later votes to adopt or decline a district position, the presenter said staff would report that decision to the Texas Education Agency as the next step.
