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District outlines options to meet SB 546: retrofit or replace 32 buses by 2029
Summary
Staff briefed trustees on Senate Bill 546 compliance and the district's current bus inventory: 103 buses total, 71 with three-point seat belts and 32 without. Replacing the 32 today would run nearly $6 million; retrofitting is estimated near $1.9 million. The board will decide a reporting option next month.
District transportation staff described reporting requirements tied to Senate Bill 546 and presented inventory and cost estimates for buses that lack seat belts.
"Currently, the district runs 103 buses. 71 of those have 3 point seat belts and 32 do not have any seat belts at all," Cody Cox said, adding that 13 new buses ordered in the fall will arrive in July and include seat belts. Cox explained the bill went into effect Sept. 1, 2025, with a compliance date of Sept. 1, 2029, and that TEA is collecting data now so it can issue guidance on funding and compliance expectations.
Cox said the district could either retrofit the 32 buses without belts or replace them; his presented figures estimated nearly $6 million to buy 32 new buses today versus roughly $1.9 million to retrofit them. He recommended continuing the district's existing replacement cycle (10-14 buses per year) so the fleet would naturally meet the requirement by 2029 unless legislative changes or funding alter that plan.
Board members asked whether state funding is expected for retrofits and how the ordered buses affect counts; staff repeated that TEA currently requires reporting and the board will determine whether to commit to replacement or retrofitting at a future meeting.
