Board Reschedules March Meeting Due to Election Law; Discusses TIF Districts

Crete-Monee School Board Meeting | February 17, 2026

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee School Board voted to move its March meeting date to comply with state election laws and discussed legal precedents regarding Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. The March meeting will now take place on Monday, March 16, 2026.

School Board Business Key Points:

• Meeting Change: The March regular meeting was moved from March 17 to March 16 due to a conflict with the primary election.

• Legal Restriction: New legislation prohibits school board meetings on election days.

• TIF Discussion: President Maurice Brown highlighted a legal case where a school district lost a challenge against a TIF district due to insufficient defense.

• Future Strategy: The Board emphasized the need for due diligence if future TIF disputes arise.

The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, voted to reschedule its upcoming March meeting to comply with state legislation regarding election days.

Superintendent Dr. Kara Coglianese informed the Board that legal counsel advised against holding the originally scheduled March 17 meeting because it coincides with the General Primary Election.

“We are not allowed to have any board meetings, I think, on March 17th,” Dr. Coglianese said. “That means we need to change our board meetings.”

After reviewing calendars, the Board agreed to move the meeting to Monday, March 16, 2026.

During the meeting, Board President Maurice Brown brought up a recent legal update provided by Executive Secretary Cheryl Roop regarding Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. Brown referenced a case where a different school district challenged a TIF district but lost the legal battle.

“They didn’t have enough ammunition to justify that that TIF wasn’t warranted,” Brown said, summarizing the case. “The judge said, ‘You know what? That’s the reason why you lost. You didn’t have enough.'”

Brown used the example as a caution for the Board regarding future financial planning.

“This is a heads up if it ever comes to us again about that,” Brown said. “We just got to do due diligence and put as much as we could.”