New state law means bus seat belts costing $1 million to $7 million, with no state money

What happened

A new state law requires three-point seat belts on every school bus by Sept. 1, 2029. On April 9, 2026, staff said 42 of 108 regular buses and 12 of 31 special-education buses lack them, and eight older buses can't be fixed. Options run from about $1 million to retrofit to over $7 million to replace all 51 buses. No state money is guaranteed; buses are bought with bond money.

Why it matters to families

The district must pay to make buses safer, which speeds up bus replacement and uses bond money.

The evidence

The April 9 recording includes the bus count, cost options and the board's required vote on whether the work is financially feasible.

The source