Round Lake CUSD 116 reviews FY25–26 budget assumptions, summer programming and curriculum plans; board discusses transportation software upgrade

The Round Lake Area School District Board of Education on Feb. 24 reviewed the district’s FY25–26 budget assumptions, summer programming plans and a preview of planned curriculum adoptions, and discussed a proposed upgrade to the district’s transportation software.

Business officials told the board that FY25–26 budget assumptions have been revised in three places since the last presentation, including lower-than-expected insurance costs and the addition of a business APFTE and an upcoming curriculum-adoption expense. The finance report said the reduced insurance costs free up district funds that could be applied elsewhere if needed.

Administrators presented an expanded summer program portfolio the district plans to fund through its after‑school grant. The program list includes early-learning bags at the EEC, a kindergarten countdown in partnership with United Way, art and STEM buses operating from a single Round Lake Beach park location, newcomer programming and extended-school-year services at all levels, credit recovery and honors-bridge offerings for middle-school students entering high-school honors coursework. New additions this year are a summer iReady monitoring program (staff will monitor student progress remotely and communicate with…