FISHERS, Ind. — Hamilton Southeastern Schools was one of the first users of the Saf-T-Anchor Removable Seat (S.T.A.R.S.) mounting system, which Thomas Built Buses introduced in 2016.

After a few months, the school district reported success with the new seating configuration and ordered additional units.

“We have had good luck with the S.T.A.R.S. system,” said Nathan Summers, garage supervisor of Hamilton Southeastern Schools. “We like how it keeps the floors clean and more organized, and our team loves how quickly and easily removal and installation is compared to track seating.”

The S.T.A.R.S. mounting system for Thomas Built special-needs buses allows passenger seats to be easily removed and reinstalled quickly without any special hardware or complicated measuring, according to the OEM.

For Hamilton Southeastern Schools, an added benefit is that the S.T.A.R.S. system helps fight corrosion because of its wall-mounted seats with the feet secured to the floor using specially designed anchors.

“We’ve found that L-track seating tends to collect dirt and debris along the track. With the S.T.A.R.S. system, this isn’t a problem,” said Caley Edgerly, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “Plus, the S.T.A.R.S. system is easy to install and is more cost-effective than track seating, as there is no need to purchase continuous track and no upcharge for the track-mounted seat frame.”

Around 90% of Thomas Built lift buses in Indiana are now using the S.T.A.R.S. system and are seeing success similar to Hamilton Southeastern Schools, according to the manufacturer.