Fundraiser seeks help for Sanger student’s family; visitation set in Gainesville

By GvilleTX Newsroom

An online fundraiser is seeking assistance for the family of Julian Amador, a Sanger Middle School student who died in a school-bus accident Sept. 24, 2026, according to the campaign page. Visitation is scheduled for Sept. 29 in Gainesville, Geo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home reports.

The funeral home confirms that Amador, 13, died in Denton on Sept. 24 and attended Sanger schools. Its notice schedules his funeral and burial for Sept. 30.

The GoFundMe page identifies Jim Sprabary of Sanger as the organizer of Support for Julian Amador’s Family. The appeal asks for help for the family following his death. The campaign is the source of the account that he died in a school-bus accident; the funeral home independently confirms his death.

Separate district records describe changes affecting families who rely on Sanger school buses this year. In its transportation announcement for the 2026–27 school year, Sanger ISD said it would discontinue in-town routes and provide transportation only to students outside a two-mile radius.

The district cited too few drivers, limited bus availability and growth in the population of students eligible for transportation. Its policy places eligible students on a waiting list once a bus is full, meaning eligibility alone does not assure an immediate seat.

Bus purchases were also part of Sanger ISD’s 2026 bond proposal. The district described the proposed purchases as a response to enrollment growth and a way to meet current state safety requirements.

Before the accident, the school board’s April 13 agenda listed a seat-belt presentation and proposed action concerning a budget exception under Senate Bill 546. The item also proposed authorizing an application for a Texas Education Agency grant. The agenda documents proposals for consideration, not their approval.

Senate Bill 546 ended the automatic seat-belt exemption for buses from model year 2017 or earlier. Districts have until September 2029 to comply with the amended provision requiring lap-and-shoulder belts. The law preserves exceptions for board-determined budget limitations and installations that would void a bus warranty.

Districts using the budget exception were required by the law to publicly report their seat-belt inventories and estimated compliance costs by the end of the 2025–26 school year.

The Texas Education Agency’s June grant announcement offered funding to retrofit buses with lap-and-shoulder belts. Eligibility required receipt of the transportation allotment and completion of the seat-belt cost report. TEA set Aug. 14 as the application deadline.