NBISD trustees are investing another $1.55 million to purchase 10 school buses from Longhorn Bus Sales before potential price increases.
The district is anticipating seeing an increase of $22,000-$25,000 in bus pricing to take effect in January 2027, which is why the administration is expediting the order, according to board documents from a regular meeting April 13.
Zooming in
Within that purchase, seven 77-passenger buses will be used for general routes. Two 54-passenger buses and one 14-passenger bus will be used on routes for students with disabilities, according to board documents.
All of the 54-passenger buses will be equipped with wheelchair lifts and floor tracking systems with anchorage for up to three wheelchairs, board documents state. The purchase is being funded by the district’s 2024 bond.
Zooming out
Senate Bill 546, which was passed by the Texas Senate during the 2025 legislative session, requires public school-operated buses to be equipped with three-point seatbelts for each passenger and bus driver. The district’s purchase brings the number of buses that do not meet SB 546 requirements down from 30 to 15. With the 15 buses purchased this year and five retrofit buses, all route buses would be equipped with three-point seat belts, according to a separate April 13 meeting presentation.
Five of the 15 remaining noncompliant buses would be retrofitted this summer and cost an estimated $185,000. A one-time budget amendment for the cost of this retrofit would be presented to the board in May. The 10 buses left would be in service temporarily. The district plans to replace these buses before the Sept. 1, 2029, compliance deadline, according to the presentation.
“By doing this two-phase approach, it will eliminate the need for costly retrofits on those end-of-life units,” NBISD’s Transportation Director Cesario Flores said during the meeting.
