SPOKANE, Wash. — As thousands of Spokane students prepare to return to school tomorrow, they’ll notice a significant change waiting at the bus stop: an entirely new fleet of buses equipped with modern safety features.
Spokane Public Schools has purchased 149 new buses for the 2026-2027 school year, marking a major upgrade to student transportation. The most visible change for riders will be the addition of seatbelts — a first for the district’s buses.
The district made the decision to purchase a new fleet now, anticipating that state regulations will make contracted transportation more expensive in the future. Jeremy Shay, Spokane Public Schools’ Director of Transportation, explained the reasoning behind adding seatbelts to every bus. “Not knowing if state law would change at any time about requiring seatbelts and busses, that made sense,” Shay said. “It’s a pretty minimal cost to add them at the time of delivery. So all of our new buses are equipped with seat belts.”
Each seat can accommodate three students and includes three seatbelts, and students will be required to buckle up on the bus.
Beyond seatbelts, the fleet includes new air conditioning units and comprehensive camera systems covering both the front and rear of each bus which is commonly found in many modern vehicles.
Regarding the transition to seatbelts, Shay said the district does not anticipate major disruptions. “We don’t think it will be a huge shift,” Shay said. “And we expect with it being daily that those things will be something that happens naturally. We don’t expect delays to continue beyond the beginning of school process, which happens every year.”
While Spokane Public Schools owns the new buses, the company Zum continues as the district’s bus contractor for the 2026-2027 school year. Zum works with school districts across the country and employs the bus drivers who operate the new fleet. Next year, the district expects to hire its own drivers and hopes some Zum drivers will remain with the district.
The state funded the purchase of the new fleet through the district’s transportation allocation. By operating its own buses rather than relying on contracted transportation, and they expect to save between $2 million and $5 million over the first five years.
The district has 120 bus routes currently established, though that number may change. Parents and students can view routes online at this website to find their assigned stop and schedule.
The new buses will begin service tomorrow as students return to classrooms across the district.
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