Voter-approved bonds bring 19 new school buses to Lufkin ISD

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - Nineteen new school buses purchased through $3 million in voter-approved bonds are now rolling on district routes across Lufkin.

The new fleet additions are helping Lufkin ISD work toward compliance with Texas Senate Bill 546, which requires all school buses in the state to have three-point seatbelts by 2029. According to Lufkin ISD Director of Transportation Randy Burton, 15 of the district’s 56 total fleet buses still lack seatbelts, and the 19 new buses move the district closer to full compliance ahead of the state deadline.

Advanced safety and monitoring systems

The buses feature upgraded camera systems designed to monitor the entire interior.

“With upgrading the camera system, this is actually a fisheye camera. It’ll get the view of all the students in this area, and then this camera here will pick up the other students,” Burton said. “We pretty much have 100% of the bus covered with our cameras.”

The vehicles are also equipped with a child-safety alarm located at the back of the bus. Drivers must walk the aisle and press the button after every route to deactivate it.

“If a driver does not do it, the horn will start going off like somebody broke into your car,” Burton said. “You know, you leave an elementary student on a bus, we’ve seen it in the news. 100 degree weather, they don’t last very long. That’s one thing I never want to explain to a parent.”

Added cooling and accessibility features

The new buses come equipped with three cooling units, compared to two units on older fleet models.

On buses designated for special needs routes, removable seats allow accommodations for up to three wheelchairs simultaneously, an increase from single-wheelchair capacity on older buses.

Frederick Hamilton, a bus driver of more than 30 years who has driven for Houston Metro, Hudson ISD, and Lufkin, mainly transports special needs students.

“The [students] love it. Even the ones that [are] nonverbal, you can see it in their eyes that they like [to] ride the bus,” Hamilton said, adding that these are the best buses he has ever driven.

Funded through May 2026 bond

Superintendent Dr. James Hockenberry credited voters for passing the bond package that funded the upgrades.

“We’re doing the best we can. As we transport our most prized possessions, [it] is mission critical for our school district,” Hockenberry said.

District officials expect the new buses to remain in service for 10 to 15 years. The Texas Education Agency has not yet responded to inquiries regarding whether school districts will receive additional funding guidance ahead of the 2029 seatbelt mandate.