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.
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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.”
