The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is doubling down on increased seatbelt usage in school buses following the Leander Independent School District school bus crash Aug. 13.

As School Transportation News previously reported, a 2025 Blue Bird school bus was traveling south on a two-lane divided road the first day of school for the Austin, Texas-area district. The school bus was occupied by the 78-year-old driver and 46 student passengers.

Related: Texas School District Updates Seatbelt Policy Following School Bus Rollover
Related: NTSB Investigating Texas School Bus Crash

The NTSB stated in its preliminary investigation that a forward-facing video from the vehicle showed the school bus drifting left across the centerline and then to the right, causing it to leave the road while navigating a left-hand curve. After leaving the roadway, the bus crossed an embankment, overturned and came to rest adjacent to the roadway. At the time of the crash the road was wet from light rain.

The investigation found that many students were not restrained in the available lap/shoulder seatbelts, which are required in each new school bus by state law, and were therefore displaced from their seats during the roadway departure and rollover event. Sixteen students were injured, ranging from serious to minor, and the school bus driver sustained minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation to determine probable cause. However, NTSB has issued three recommendations as a result of the preliminary investigation. To the state of Texas and Leander ISD, NTSB recommends establishing, distributing and requiring the implementation of enforceable policies and procedures for seatbelt use, with routine audits, to ensure that every student is restrained on every trip.

At a minimum, the NTSB said policies and procedures should include: “Mandatory pre-departure driver instruction to students to properly belt and periodic pre-departure inspection by drivers or other staff to ensure that each student is properly belted; periodic review of onboard video camera footage, when equipped, to verify seatbelt use; and

increased training and education of school administrators and staff, bus drivers, parents, and students about proper seat belt use and adjustment, seat belt policies and procedures, the safety benefits of seat belt use, and the importance of being properly belted.”

The state currently requires model-year 2018 or newer school buses to be equipped with three-point seatbelts. School districts can opt out if the school board determines that the cost exceeds the district’s budget and passes a vote during a public meeting.

Bagdad Elementary School Principal Monica de la Garza-Conness and Director of Transportation Tracie Franco shared in a letter to the community in late August that the district remains committed to reviewing its practices and strengthening reminders regarding seatbelt use.

“While state law does not hold districts legally responsible for seatbelt use, we expect students to buckle up whenever seatbelts are available,” the letter states. “To strengthen this standard, drivers will now check seatbelt use before departure. These expectations for our staff members will be added to our transportation and district handbooks.”

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Meanwhile, the NTSB called on the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), the National School Transportation Association, and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services to inform its members of the Leander ISD crash, the lack of seatbelt use, and the need for school districts to establish enforceable policies and procedures for seatbelt use on school buses.

In a letter to members on Oct. 28, the same day NTSB released its recommendations, NAPT informed its members of “the nature of the crash and the importance of using the belts when they are in place.” The organization pointed to its policy statement on the issue of lap/shoulder seatbelts, which encourages members to determine the use of the three-point restraints based on their local needs.

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A newly created safety fund will award Ohio school districts with grants to update their fleets with safety features, like seatbelts.

The Ohio School Bus Working Group, called by Gov. Mike DeWine following the August 2024 ejection and death of 11-year-old Aidan Clark after his school bus was struck by an oncoming truck, issued final recommendations after five months of in-person meetings.

HB3 passed the state House unanimously in June to address some of the recommendations. In addition to creating the grant fund program, it also seeks to increase fines of illegally passing motorists and to designate the month of August as School Bus Safety Awareness Month.

While the bill awaits passage in the Senate, DeWine announced that the School Bus Safety Grant Program application has launched, and applications are being accepted Oct. 15 through Nov.14. The program will provide a total of $10 million in competitive school bus safety grants.

Related: Ohio School Bus Safety Act Raises Awareness of Illegal Passing
Related: Ohio Bill Seeks School Bus Illegal Passing Fine Increase, Safety Fund
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Related: Texas School District Updates Seatbelt Policy Following School Bus Rollover
Related: School Bus Seatbelt Law Appears Imminent in Illinois

Eligible applicants include city, local, exempted village and joint vocational school districts as well as community schools, chartered nonpublic schools, STEM schools, educational service centers, and county boards of developmental disabilities. The grants can go toward “the repair, replacement, or addition of authorized school bus safety features to school buses in active service or for safety enhancements to the purchase of a new school bus” the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce lists on its website. “The program is designed for flexibility to allow for tailored purchases that meet specific safety needs, while also considering finances.”

Rudolph Breglia, an advocate for seatbelts in Ohio, said in his testimony at a House committee hearing on HB3 in April that priority of grant funding should be given to the installation of lap/shoulder seatbelts in school buses, “since these safety tools directly protect children from injury and death in the event of a school bus incident. Children always need direct protection provided by seatbelts since traffic accidents will always occur regardless of how hard we try to prevent accidents by adding preventative measures to school buses,” he continued, adding that applications should also be advised that evidence exists that installing lap/shoulder seatbelts has reached the status of a “Standard of Care” or “best practice.”

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MACON, Georgia — IMMI, the trusted global leader in school bus seating, joined Blue Bird Corp. to celebrate the grand opening of its manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia. IMMI’s 75,000 square-foot plant will support school bus maker Blue Bird after the company announced to equip select model buses with industry-first safety upgrades, including seats with three-point seat belts as standard protection for all student passengers and a steering wheel deployed air bag to safeguard school bus drivers.

“Today, not only do we celebrate safety leadership alongside our partner Blue Bird, we also are thrilled to add 80 good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs to middle Georgia,” announced Larry Gray, CEO of IMMI. “We are also here to recognize Blue Bird’s continued commitment to advancing school bus safety by being the first school bus manufacturer to make lap-shoulder belts standard on their buses and provide frontal airbags to protect school bus drivers in communities across the United States,” added Norm Gould III, school bus president and IMMI CFO.

IMMI’s 4Front airbag safety system will also be standard safety equipment on Blue Bird’s Vision- model school buses beginning this month.

“Every day, millions of children travel on our buses to school and back home. They are the most precious cargo in the world,” said John Wyskiel, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “For nearly 100 years, Blue Bird has led the way in school bus safety. We partnered with IMMI to bring industry-first, standard student and driver safety systems to school districts in North America. We are thrilled that our joint commitment to safety drives investments, manufacturing expansion, and job growth in our home state and beyond.”

Under the brand SafeGuard, IMMI’s Macon facility manufactures state-of-the-art school bus seats, which help to protect millions of children every day. Blue Bird was the first school bus manufacturer to announce in 2024 that lap-shoulder belts would be standard safety equipment on their school bus seats.

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have called for school bus manufacturers to provide lap-shoulder belts for the 25 million plus children who ride on buses every year, and Blue Bird has answered that call,” added Wyskiel.

As demand increases for IMMI SafeGuard’s lap-shoulder belt seats, IMMI expects to add more jobs to its workforce in Macon. The company will post open roles on its career website and encourages qualified candidates to apply.

“Illinois recently passed legislation joining eight other U.S. states mandating lap-shoulder belts on new school buses,” said Gray. “We expect other states to follow suit as they recognize that even on the safest vehicles on the road, which are school buses, seat belts continue to save lives and reduce injuries.”

Press Photo/Caption: IMMI’s 75,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Macon, Georgia produces industry-leading school bus seats with three-point seat belts for Georgia-based school bus maker Blue Bird Corporation. Blue Bird is the first school bus manufacturer in the United States to equip select model buses with three-point seat belts as standard protection for all student passengers and a steering wheel deployed air bag to protect school bus drivers. (Image provided by IMMI)

About IMMI

IMMI® is the trusted, global leader of safety solutions, helping to protect millions of lives every day. For almost 60 years, IMMI has led the way in developing, designing, testing and manufacturing innovative safety restraints and systems. IMMI’s safety products are found worldwide on car seats, heavy trucks, school buses, recreational/off road, military, fire/EMS, motor coach, and construction vehicles. Employee-owned, IMMI is headquartered in Westfield, Indiana and operating nine additional global facilities, IMMI is also home to CAPE, the world’s leading state-of-the-art testing facility. For more information, visit https://www.imminet.com.

About Blue Bird Corporation

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world — 25 million children twice a day — making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

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Leander Independent School District in Texas is updating its seatbelt policy to require its school bus drivers to check for students buckled up before departure in response to a school bus rollover crash last month.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services confirmed a school bus rollover involving Leander Independent School District occurred Aug. 13 at 3:15 p.m. The school bus, which primarily transports students to and from Bagdad Elementary School, was transporting 42 children home from the first day of classes. Eleven students and the school bus driver were transported to the hospital with injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced the day following the crash that it is coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety on a safety investigation.

Monica de la Garza-Conness, Bagdad Elementary principal and Tracie Franco, the district’s transportation services director, shared in an Aug. 26 letter to parents that while DPS found no criminal wrongdoing by school bus driver Tim Gall, he was “cited for failure to drive in a single lane and improper use of a seatbelt.”

According to the letter, he is no longer employed by the district. Leander ISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing said Gall was a “seasoned veteran bus driver.”

Texas Senate Bill 546 introduced in 2024 and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025, went into effect Sept. 1. The law states that by the end of the current school year, the board of trustees at  school districts must submit a report to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).that includes the number of school buses operated by or contracted for us by the school district that are not equipped with seatbelts. The report must also list the buses equipped with lap belts and equipped with lap/shoulder belts. School boards must also provide the estimated cost to equip three-point belts in each school bus used by the district.

By Jan. 1, 2027, TEA will collect the information and calculate the total amount of financial assistance needed for all school districts to equip with their school buses with lap/shoulder belts. TEA will make that information available and a school district mau accept “gifts, grants and donations from any public or private source to implement” lap/shoulder seatbelts.

The 2024 Blue Bird school bus was equipped with lap/shoulder seatbelts, per state law. The state requires model-year 2018 or newer school buses to be equipped with the three-point seatbelts. School districts can opt out if the school board determines that the cost exceeds the district’s budget and passes a vote during a public meeting.

Local news reports noted the DPS concluded some but not all students were wearing the safety restraints. State law says students are required to wear the lap/shoulder seatbelts if the school bus is equipped with them.

Related: WATCH: Texas District Uses ‘Bus Buddies’ Program to Ease School Bus Ride Anxiety
Related: Superintendent Defends School Bus Driver Accused of Erratic Driving, Potential Impairment
Related: School Bus Seatbelt Law Appears Imminent in Illinois

Garza-Conness and Franco addressed safety items from the DPS. They noted that voter approval of a 2023 bond resulted in every school bus running daily routes, including for students with individualized education programs, are equipped with seatbelts. An additional 44 school buses used for field trips and substitute buses are also equipped with seatbelts.

“Only if all of these are in use would an older bus without seatbelts be assigned,” the letter states.

“The report also reinforced the importance of consistent seatbelt use, a point of emphasis for us,” the letter continues. “We remain committed to reviewing our practices and strengthening reminders about seatbelt use to ensure the well-being of every child we transport. While state law does not hold districts legally responsible for seatbelt use, we expect students to buckle up whenever seatbelts are available. To strengthen this standard, drivers will now check seatbelt use before departure. These expectations for our staff members will be added to our transportation and district handbooks.”

The letter addressed a comment from DPS on tire tread depth, which was reportedly within acceptable safety standards.

Garza-Conness and Franco asked parents to help share the message and importance of wearing a seatbelt. “Please remind your child to buckle up every time they ride the bus—it’s one of the simplest ways to stay safe,” the joint letter notes. “Your partnership reinforces the same message our drivers and schools are sharing daily, helping us build strong habits together.”

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The first day of the new school year near Austin, Texas, started in a way no transportation professional or school official would ever want. Thankfully, everyone involved in the rollover crash on their way home have since been released from the hospital.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services confirmed a school bus rollover involving Leander Independent School District occurred Aug. 13 at 3:15 p.m. The school bus, which primarily transports students to and from Bagdad Elementary School, was transporting 42 children, leaving 12 needing transport to the hospital, including the school bus driver.

At the time of the crash, most students had not yet been dropped off.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced the day following the crash it is coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety on a safety investigation.

Sgt. Billy Ray, the public information officer for Texas DPS, noted the preliminary crash investigation indicates the school bus was traveling south on Nameless Road, which includes a slight curve. For an unknown reason as of this report, the school bus left the right side of the roadway and rolled over.

Medical services noted that one passenger suffered life-threatening injuries, two had potentially life-threatening injuries. However, everyone has since been released from the hospital.

The 2024 Blue Bird school bus was equipped with lap/shoulder seatbelts, per state law. The state requires model-year 2018 or newer school buses to be equipped with the three-point seatbelts. School districts can opt out if the board determines that the cost exceeds the district’s budget and votes on it during a public meeting.

Related: WATCH: Texas District Uses ‘Bus Buddies’ Program to Ease School Bus Ride Anxiety
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Related: School Bus Seatbelt Law Appears Imminent in Illinois

Information on whether students were wearing their lap/shoulder seatbelts was unknown at this time. But state law says students are required to wear the occupant restraints if the school bus is equipped with them.

Leander ISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing noted that information on the school bus driver was limited, but they are a “seasoned veteran bus driver.”

Gearing added that in addition to the deadly Central Texas floods last month, the Leander ISD family has been through a lot. “This tragedy is breaking our hearts,” he said. “We want each of the students and their families to know that our prayers are with them. Our thoughts are with them. And we will do everything in our power to support them.”

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