Princeton ISD will be spending $600,000 out of reserves to outfit all of their school buses with seatbelts. (Courtesy photo.)

After action decided by the Princeton ISD school board, $600,000 will be spent on school safety in the form of seatbelts for school buses.

At the Monday, Aug. 21 board meeting, school board members voted to spend the money on all buses in the district’s fleet to retrofit them with seatbelts.

In the most recent session of legislation, lawmakers required 2018 buses and newer to have seatbelts, an additional cost of approximately $5,000 per bus. However, after discussions, board members decided to outfit each and every bus with seatbelts.

The 35 Princeton buses will be retrofitted by changing out the seats with seats that contain three point seat belts. “The board was concerned with the disparity of having some buses with seat belts and some without. Since the state passed that new buses needed seat belts to be safe, they wanted to be sure all students were afforded the same safety standards,” Superintendent Phil Anthony said. “Funds will come from general operating funds (Fund Balance) and the process should take a couple of weeks once the seats are received.”

By Wyndi Veigel • News Editor • [email protected]

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