OPRF board reviews Chromebook purchase ($434,470) and approves wheelchair-accessible bus replacement ($93,852)

Oak Park–River Forest SD 200 administrators presented two procurement updates during the committee of the whole: a previously budgeted purchase of Chromebooks and related services totaling $434,470, and a planned replacement of a wheelchair-accessible activity bus priced at $93,852.

Staff said the Chromebook purchase has been budgeted in prior years and includes devices and a service/etching package; the purchase came in below the board’s targeted budget threshold. When asked about historical repair rates and battery-replacement counts, staff said the district does not have those figures immediately available but agreed to research and report back. "I do not have that data available," a staff member said when pressed for counts of battery replacements and repair incidents.

On transportation, staff described a replacement for an older wheelchair-accessible bus that had reached the end of reliable service. The district had budgeted $115,000 for the vehicle; the presented bid was $93,852. Board members raised concerns about past preventive-maintenance practices and asked whether the district now has a master fleet schedule and a robust preventive-maintenance program; staff said a master fleet schedule exists and that maintenance practices have improved in the past year.

Administrators described the vendor process: bids were solicited from vendors including Southern Bus and Mobility (which currently holds an Illinois state contract through 2028), Central State Busing (previous vendor), and others that did not provide bids. Staff noted a possible 2026-chassis upcharge of about 22.2% (approximately $2,200) if 2025 chassis become unavailable.

What’s next: Staff will return with historical repair/warranty data on the Chromebook fleet and proceed with the bus procurement consistent with the board’s purchasing and budget policies.