Friendswood ISD board of trustees approved a resolution at its April 13 meeting stating that the district does not have the financial capacity to retrofit or replace school buses without three-point seat belts by September 2029 to meet state requirements.
The overview
The resolution is in response to Senate Bill 546, passed in the 89th Texas Legislature, which requires all school buses operated by Texas school districts to be equipped with three-point seat belts for every rider by Sept. 1, 2029.
As of April 1, the district reports 41 noncompliant buses in its current fleet, including seven wheelchair buses and 34 standard 71-77 passenger buses, according to district documents.
The specifics
District officials noted that 28 of the 41 buses can not be retrofitted due to manufacturer limitations and age, and that replacing all 28 noncompliant buses is estimated to cost about $4.5 million, according to district documents.
Of the remaining buses, the district estimates 13 buses could be retrofitted at a cost of about $425,902, according to district documents.
A full replacement of all 41 noncompliant buses would cost approximately $6.6 million, with delivery timelines ranging from 12 to 18 months per bus, according to district documents.
Also of note
Proposition A in the district’s $81.5 million May bond package includes funding for the purchase of 10 compliant buses.
Overall, the proposition would fund $26 million for facility upgrades, including hot water pumps, foundation repairs and fire alarm systems. It also funds land acquisition, conversion of spaces into science labs at Windsong Elementary and Bales Intermediate, according to district documents.
If voters approve the proposition, the district would remove 10 noncompliant buses with no retrofit options from the spare fleet, according to district documents.
What’s next
The district will submit a detailed fleet inventory and cost report to the Texas Education Agency by the end of the 2025-26 school year, as required by the state, and will develop a phased plan toward compliance as funding allows, according to district documents.
