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PSJA transportation warns of state seatbelt mandate for school buses; district plans phased purchases
Summary
Transportation staff told the board 44 of 144 yellow buses still lack required seat belts under a state mandate with a 2029 compliance date; the department proposed a phased replacement plan (10, 15, 15 buses) and noted a potential $1.5M capital need depending on timing.
The district’s transportation director reported that a statewide mandate will require seat belts on every yellow school bus by September 2029. Joe Dibara said PSJA has 44 buses that do not meet the requirement and outlined a proposed phased procurement schedule to achieve compliance by the deadline. Trustees were told that failure to comply could render non‑belted buses unusable and would disrupt routes if many units were out of service at once.
Dibara also described operational improvements—transportation hubs and additional routing to retain students across school transitions—and noted infrastructure investments already completed, including a new 30,000‑gallon diesel fuel tank that provides a month’s fuel supply and is expected to yield operational savings and resilience during weather events.
