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Aransas Pass ISD board approves resolution saying district cannot meet SB 546 bus-seat-belt deadline
Summary
The Aransas Pass ISD Board approved a resolution declaring the district lacks the finances to meet the Sept. 1, 2029 school-bus seat-belt requirements of Texas Senate Bill 546 and directed administration to submit required reporting to TEA and develop a phased retrofit plan.
The Aransas Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees voted March 23 to adopt a resolution declaring the district cannot fully meet the Sept. 1, 2029 compliance deadline in Texas Senate Bill 546 for seat belts on school buses.
Trustee David Rector moved to approve the resolution and Trustee Olivia Hill seconded. According to the motion text recorded in the minutes, the board directed administration "to submit required SB 546 reporting to the Texas Education Agency, and to develop a phased, fiscally responsible replacement and/or retrofit plan." The motion passed unanimously among board members present (Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 1).
Board members and finance staff said the resolution reflects current financial constraints and the need for a phased approach; the minutes do not include a public estimate of retrofit cost or specific timetable beyond the statutory deadline. Chief of Finance Adrianna Moreno presented the district's financial information as part of the discussion. The board’s action obligates district staff to complete required reporting to the Texas Education Agency and to return with a plan that outlines how the district might phase in replacements or retrofits over time.
Next steps recorded in the minutes are administrative: staff must file the SB 546 report with TEA and prepare the phased plan for future board consideration. The open-session minutes do not include estimated costs or a schedule for the phased retrofitting.
