C-M Committee of Whole: Staff Survey Reveals Split Opinion on Calendar; Board Set to Approve Traditional Schedule

Crete-Monee School Board Meeting | Feb. 10, 2026

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee School Board reviewed survey results showing a nearly even split among staff regarding how to handle emergency closures, with the administration recommending a traditional calendar that extends the school year into June if necessary.
2026-2027 School Calendar Key Points:

• Survey Results: Out of 419 staff respondents, 42.2% preferred extending the school year for emergency days, while 41.8% preferred working on flexible holidays (like Pulaski Day).

• Device Policy Change: The district will no longer send Chromebooks home daily with K-5 students, making sudden e-learning days impossible for that age group.

• Recommendation: Administration recommends maintaining traditional holidays and adding emergency days to the end of the year if needed.

• Graduation Conflict: The Board discussed potential scheduling conflicts between high school graduation and state track meets.

The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, reviewed a razor-thin staff survey result regarding the structure of the 2026-2027 school calendar.

Dr. Ghantel Perkins, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, presented the data to the Committee of the Whole. The district sought feedback because of a procedural change regarding technology: next school year, students in grades K-5 will not take Chromebooks home on a daily basis.

This change means the district cannot pivot to “e-learning” days for unexpected emergencies, such as sudden severe weather, because elementary students would not have devices at home. Consequently, the district must choose between using “flexible holidays”—attending school on days like Casimir Pulaski Day or Presidents’ Day—or using traditional “emergency days” that extend the school year into June.

Dr. Perkins reported that 419 of the district’s approximately 700 staff members responded to the survey. The results were divided by less than one percent.

• 42.2% preferred using emergency days in June to extend the school year.

• 41.8% preferred attending school on a flexible holiday to avoid extending the year.

• 16% had no preference.

“By two votes… 42.2 said that they would like to extend the day,” Dr. Perkins said. “Our recommendation to the board will be to go with the traditional, keep our five holidays as they have always been, and then extend the school year.”

The proposed calendar will be presented for a formal vote at the next board meeting. If no emergency days are used, the calendar will remain as planned; if cancellations occur, days will be added to the end of the year.

Board Member Dr. Todd Hall raised a concern regarding the end-of-year schedule, noting that high school graduation often conflicts with state athletic tournaments, specifically track and field. He noted that students qualifying for state finals often have to rush back to the district to walk across the stage.

“I just feel that’s a disservice to those students that’s downstate participating in track and field only to come back and try to graduate that same day,” President Maurice Brown added.

Dr. Perkins noted that the state publishes tournament dates four years in advance and assured the board that the calendar committee would take those dates into consideration for future planning.