Construction Payments Approved for Crete-Monee Facility Upgrades

Crete-Monee Board of Education Meeting | December 16, 2025

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, approved several large payments totaling more than $550,000 for ongoing construction and athletic facility projects at the high school and middle school. Officials also noted that major structural work at the middle school is scheduled to take place over the winter break.

Construction Update Key Points:

• High School Concession Stand: The board approved a $345,476.37 payment to Bear Construction for work on the new concession facility.

• Middle School Addition: A payment of $109,069.66 was approved for Bear Construction for renovations at the University Park campus.

• Athletics Facility: The board authorized $103,931.90 for Byrne & Jones Construction for work completed on the high school athletics facility.

• Winter Break Timeline: Steel beams are scheduled to be set at the middle school starting Monday, Dec. 22.

The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, authorized significant expenditures to settle invoices for major facilities projects nearing completion. The payments are part of a broader effort to modernize district campuses and athletic infrastructure.

A payment of $345,476.37 was issued to Bear Construction for the Crete-Monee High School concession stand project. According to financial documents, the project has reached a current contract total of approximately $4.5 million, with only a small balance remaining to finish.

The board also approved $109,069.66 for Bear Construction for the addition and renovations at Crete-Monee Middle School in University Park. Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Jason Okrasinski informed the board that construction is progressing rapidly.

“It’s our intention to start to set the steel beams Monday, Dec. 22, and work diligently on that over winter break,” Okrasinski said. He noted that the goal is to have the structural steel set before students return to the building to ensure maximum safety.

Additionally, the board cleared a payment of $103,931.90 to Byrne & Jones Construction for work on the high school’s athletics facility. When asked about the final details of the sports facilities, administrators noted that while the primary work is complete, crews are still finishing dugouts, installing furniture, and waiting for light installations on the baseball and softball fields.