Education
BY CATHERINE WHITE
Pearland ISD will not meet new bus requirements by 2029, officials say
The options
The district’s proposed plan would replace 12 buses and retrofit 10 each year, reaching full com- pliance over six years without additional funding, according to district documents.
• 62 compliant with SB 546 126 non-compliant, including: • 99 regular-education buses with no seatbelts • 27 special-needs buses with lap belts Manufacturer assessments indicate 119 of the non-compliant buses can be retrofitted to include proper seatbelts. The remaining seven cannot be retrofitted due to age or engineering limitations. At the current replacement rate of 12 buses per year, full compliance would take approximately 11 years, according to district documents. Replacement and retrofit costs are estimated at $150,000 and $35,000 per bus, respectively. Based on current funding, the board concluded full compliance by 2029 is not achievable.
Pearland ISD trustees approved a resolution at its Dec. 9 meeting stating the district does not have the financial capacity to retrofit or replace all buses required for full compliance with new legislation by the September 2029 deadline. Senate Bill 546, passed during the 2025 Texas Legislature, requires all school buses operated by Texas districts to provide three- point seatbelts for every rider by Sept. 1, 2029. The state did not provide funding for the requirement, but districts may accept gifts, grants and donations to support implementation, according to state documents. As of Dec. 1, PISD operates 188 buses, which include:
The board of trustees have reviewed three options for future consideration: Hybrid: Continue replacing 12 buses per year and retrofit remaining eligible buses Accelerated replacement: Replace most or all non-compliant buses lacking seatbelts Heavy retrofit: Retrofit all eligible buses and minimize bus replacements
Next steps
The district must submit detailed inventory, cost estimates and the board resolution to the Texas Education Agency by the end of the 2025-26 school year. TEA will compile district submissions, report findings to the Legislature and identify potential statewide funding needs no later than Jan. 1, 2027, according to state documents. Nearby districts are still assessing compliance. Friendswood ISD will present its data to the school board in the spring, district officials said. Alvin ISD did not respond by press time.
Estimated costs for SB 546 compliance options by 2029
Accelerated replacement
$18.9M
Hybrid
$9.93M
Heavy retrofit (high estimate)
$6.21M
$4.41M Heavy retrofit (low estimate)
SOURCE: PEARLAND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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