Round Lake CUSD 116 authorizes sealed-bid sale of Magna Drive parcel and approves two minivans to bring routes in-house

The Round Lake CUSD 116 board on Jan. 12 authorized administration to place a district-owned parcel on Magna Drive up for public sale via sealed bids, setting the minimum acceptable price at $145,000 — the amount the district paid for the property in 2024. Administration said, if the process proceeds as expected, it would return a sale agreement to the board by early March.

Separately the board approved the purchase of two Honda Odyssey minivans (a 2023 and a 2024 model) at a combined cost of $69,615.26. Administration said the vans would allow the district to bring back at least three outsourced transportation routes into district operation and that the change would create a minimum annual savings of $141,000 on those routes. Administration said current school bus–licensed drivers would operate the vans; the district will develop operating procedures and equip the vehicles with cameras, GPS tablets and other safety features.

Board members asked whether standard operating procedures and training (including CPI or other behavior training for drivers working with students with IEPs) would be required; administration agreed such training is appropriate and said it will be scheduled when needed. The board authorized the purchase and the related financial steps to finalize the transaction.

Next steps: administration will finalize purchase paperwork and develop standard operating procedures and training for drivers working with students who require specialized transportation.