Killeen ISD Approves 18 New School Buses
The board unanimously approved the purchase to meet a 2029 state seat belt requirement.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Administration
Live Poll
Do you trust your local school district to keep students safe on buses?
Killeen Independent School District's board of trustees unanimously approved the purchase of 18 new school buses, with an estimated cost of $3 million. The buses will be bought using funds from the Transportation Department's budget for fiscal year 2026-27.
Why it matters
The district must bring its fleet into compliance with Texas Senate Bill 546, which requires three-point seat belts for every passenger by Sept. 1, 2029. Of the district's 278 school buses, 119 currently lack them, so Killeen ISD plans to replace 53 buses and retrofit 66.
The 18-bus purchase includes 15 diesel 72-passenger buses and three diesel 47-passenger buses with three wheelchair-accessible spaces, at an estimated $3 million against $3.5 million in budgeted funds. Of the district's 278 buses, 119 lack three-point seat belts, and the timeline for retrofitting the remaining 66 buses has not been detailed.
The players
Killeen Independent School District
The public school district serving Killeen, Texas, which operates a fleet of 278 school buses and oversees its own administrative properties.
The details
The board approved the bus purchase at a school board workshop on Tuesday, alongside resolutions authorizing the sale of two properties housing district offices and of Peebles Elementary School, which was permanently closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The administration recommended the purchase to meet transportation needs and comply with Texas Senate Bill 546, passed in 2025.
Timeline
2025: Texas Senate Bill 546 passed during the 89th Legislative Session.
End of 2025-26 school year: Peebles Elementary School was permanently closed.
Tuesday: The board approved the bus purchase and property sales.
Fiscal year 2026-27: Budgeted funds allocated for bus replacement.
Sept. 1, 2029: Seat belt compliance deadline for all school buses.
Legal Context
The purchase is a direct response to Texas Senate Bill 546, which requires three-point seat belts for every passenger on school buses by Sept. 1, 2029. Districts across the state face the same deadline, forcing decisions between replacing older buses and retrofitting existing ones.
Families who ride Killeen ISD buses will see the fleet upgraded, with 53 buses replaced and 66 retrofitted to add three-point seat belts before the 2029 deadline. Residents should watch for property sales of the former administration and Peebles Elementary sites, which may affect neighborhood land use.
The takeaway
Districts facing the 2029 seat belt mandate must plan replacements and retrofits now, since the cost and scheduling decisions made today will shape transportation budgets for years.
Further reading
For more on how districts manage budgets and facilities, explore Administration coverage in Killeen.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Temple Daily Telegram.
Live Poll
Do you trust your local school district to keep students safe on buses?
