Mesquite ISD reports declines in classroom removals and says buses now have seat belts; board hears implementation timeline for SB 546

District student services leaders told the Mesquite ISD board that classroom removals have decreased by 19% this school year and that out‑of‑school suspension (OSS) days have fallen nearly 50% over three years, from 8,482 days to 4,174.

"Classroom removals have decreased by 19%, representing thousands of additional hours where students are in classrooms learning," said April Sarpy, executive director of administrative services, while outlining discipline‑management changes that emphasize interventions and reduced reliance on automatic OSS placements.

Administration credited monthly professional learning for assistant principals, a discipline review committee and increased use of restorative on‑campus interventions for the decline. Officials presented comparative academic data they linked to reduced removals, noting gaps in success rates between students with and without removals.

On transportation, director Raymond Forsberg briefed trustees on Senate Bill 546, which requires three‑point passenger restraint systems on school buses. Forsberg summarized an earlier fleet count and said earlier in the year 24 buses were reviewed with 21 noted as noncompliant; after retirements and bond‑funded replacements the district's updated count is 206 buses and the previously noncompliant subset has been replaced or retrofitted.

"I'm happy to report that every single one of our buses have seat belts, including those 11," Forsberg said, and he provided retrofit cost estimates ranging from about $16,000 for smaller buses to as much as $35,000 for large buses. Forsberg said districts should expect a range of costs and that MISD plans to balance retrofitting versus replacement as buses age, and he told trustees he sees no reason the district will not be in compliance by the September 1, 2029 statutory deadline.

Trustees asked how staff would ensure students wear seat belts; Forsberg said drivers remind students and monitors are placed on specialty buses, with corrective actions if students do not fasten belts.

The board did not take formal action on either report; administrators said they will continue training, intervention implementation, and reporting to the board as projects progress.