After receiving voter approval in the May 3 bond election, Lampasas Independent School District is taking steps to acquire 15 new school buses.
During Monday’s LISD Board of Trustees regular meeting, Chief Financial Officer Shane Jones provided school board members with news on possible bus purchases.
“We have asked for four quotes from four different companies,” Jones said. “We’ve received only one back so far, and it is a little less than we expected.”
The lone quote the district has received comes from Longhorn Bus Sales.
Jones added that LISD Transportation Director Beverly Spencer is seeking 12 regular school buses and three buses for special education students. The price per bus is approximately $163,000 for the regular buses and $167,000 for each specialty bus. In total, the 15 buses would cost roughly $2.5 million.
In May, Lampasas ISD voters authorized $115.550 million in bonds for a new Lampasas Middle School, safety and security improvements at the district’s three elementary schools, and to replace approximately 35 buses. Although LISD is currently pursuing just 15 buses, it will explore purchasing more in the future.
“Our recommendation would be to wait and see how the guaranteed maximum price comes in for the middle school before we make any decisions on the rest of the buses, and possibly even security at the other campuses,” Jones said to trustees.
Not only is the district purchasing buses to update its aging fleet but also to comply with Senate Bill 546. The state law requires all school districts to install three-point seat belts on each bus before Sept. 1, 2029. Currently, only 20 of the Lampasas ISD’s 59 school buses contain three-point seat belts.
Districts unable to afford the bus upgrades may claim an exemption after their school board formally determines that budgeted funds are insufficient. LISD already has submitted its required report to the Texas Education Agency but is unsure what the future holds on receiving funds from the state.
“They have to gather all that information, gather and realize it is literally going to be literally billions of dollars to retrofit, buy or whatever they are going to do,” Jones said. “I don’t know what the timeline is or any amount.”
Trustee indicated their approval of the 15 new buses for the time being.
When the order is placed for the new buses, it could take several months before they arrive. District administrators believes the wait time may be less than usual, however, since bus producers are expecting an influx of new orders due to the state law.
