SAN ANTONIO -- Starting September 1st, all new school buses in Texas must have seat belts.
Parents and school administrators point to the deadly crash in Missouri last week as a reason kids need to be buckled up. State and federal guidelines already require buses to have certain safety measures like padded seats and emergency doors. However, with districts already cutting back, the state will have to flip the bill or pass it on to taxpayers.
The idea became state law in 2007 and gave districts time to comply. But including seat belts would raise the cost of a new bus by around $10,000, a cost districts aren't prepared to pay.
"They also said they would provide money for school districts to carry this out," said Laura Calderon of the Northeast Independent School District.
NEISD and other San Antonio area school districts are waiting for state funds to bring in new buses outfitted with seat belts.
"This potentially could be part of a bond election," Calderon explained. "But the state has asked for this to be done and committed some funds. We are looking for the state to follow through on that."
A bond election would be a last resort. Parents who discussed the issue with News 4 WOAI said when it comes to safety, they wouldn't mind.
Lawmakers set aside $10 million to help districts across the state, but that would only pay for about one bus per district. It will take millions of dollars and several years to have all buses equipped with seat belts.
