Stafford Municipal School District reported zero bus crashes to the state for at least two of three school years, according to a KHOU 11 Investigates analysis published Tuesday, Oct. 20. Police records filed with the Texas Department of Transportation show bus crashes did occur within the district's boundaries during that time.

The district declined to comment. KHOU reported that Stafford MSD was the only district among the nine examined that actively refused to respond.

Stafford MSD was one of nine Houston-area districts that reported no collisions to the Texas Education Agency's Bus Accident Reporting System, known as BARS, for at least two of the three school years KHOU examined. The other eight were Barbers Hill ISD, Columbia-Brazoria ISD, Galena Park ISD, Katy ISD, Montgomery ISD, New Caney ISD, Sheldon ISD and Spring Branch ISD.

Across all nine districts, TxDOT's Crash Records Information System logged 214 school bus crashes during the same period, KHOU reported.

Texas law requires districts to report bus collisions annually. Under Texas Education Code Section 34.015, districts must submit collision data to TEA each year through a mandatory survey, according to a TEA guidance letter. A 2023 law changed the official term from "accident" to "collision."

Not every crash recorded by TxDOT necessarily triggers a TEA report. Under the education commissioner's rules, a collision involving an empty bus does not have to be reported unless a pedestrian is involved. TxDOT's database includes all bus crashes submitted by law enforcement, whether or not students were on board.

Of the seven districts that responded to KHOU, five acknowledged reporting errors and pledged to fix them. Katy ISD, Sheldon ISD and Spring Branch ISD also pointed to differences between TEA and TxDOT reporting criteria to explain part of the gap, KHOU reported. Galena Park ISD did not respond to multiple emails.

Ware Wendell, executive director of Texas Watch, a nonpartisan safety advocacy group, told KHOU that complete data helps schools spot dangerous routes and identify where drivers need more training.

"We have to track a problem so that we can fix the problem," Wendell said. "If we're not tracking the problem and studying it, how are we ever going to come up with the solution?"

Stafford MSD, led by Superintendent Dr. Adam Stephens, serves about 3,600 students across campuses in Stafford, according to the district's website.

Parents who want to review the state's bus collision reporting requirements can find them on TEA's website.