Crete-Monee Prepares for Summer Facility Upgrades, Targets Middle School Flooring

Crete-Monee School District 201-U Meeting | March 10, 2026

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee School District is advancing its multi-million dollar Short-Term Facility Plan, highlighted by a proposed $364,800 flooring replacement at the middle school to resolve chronic moisture issues.

Crete-Monee Facility Upgrades Key Points:

• The district currently retains over $6.6 million in contingency and remaining funds for its 2024-2026 facility plan.

• Administrators recommend a $364,800 contract with Douglas Floor Covering to replace moisture-damaged carpet with tile at Crete-Monee Middle School.

• Planned summer upgrades at Crete-Monee High School include a $192,127 main gym scoreboard to meet incoming IHSA shot clock rules and $464,069 for auditorium lighting.

• Officials confirmed that these projects are funded through previously sold alternative revenue bonds and will not increase the overall budget or require new debt.

The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, reviewed an extensive list of upcoming summer capital projects, primarily focusing on a critical flooring overhaul at the middle school and athletic upgrades at the high school.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Jason Okrasinski provided an update on the district’s 2024-2026 Short-Term Facility Plan. Currently, the district has just over $6.6 million remaining in its project balance, funded entirely through previously sold alternative revenue bonds and state maintenance grants. Okrasinski noted that the interior construction of the new classrooms at Crete-Monee Middle School is progressing well, with drywall taped and sanded, and exterior walls slated to be opened over spring break.

However, the administration is shifting focus to the original 1992-2005 sections of the middle school, where aging classroom carpet buckles every summer due to moisture rising from the concrete. Building and Grounds staff have had to temporarily stretch and fix the carpets annually to prevent tripping hazards.

To permanently resolve the issue, the district went out to bid to replace the affected classrooms with Tarkett Tile and to finish the corridor sections with Texas Granite tile to match recent renovations. Douglas Floor Covering submitted a base bid of $364,800 for the project.

Okrasinski assured the board that the cost fits comfortably within the middle school project’s $380,584 contingency budget, compounded by the fact that the district will not use roughly $270,000 in built-in allowances for the new classroom additions.

At Crete-Monee High School, the district is preparing for two specific upgrades. First, a new scoreboard featuring video board capabilities will be installed in the main competition gym for $192,127. Okrasinski explained that this replacement is necessary to make the district compliant with the Illinois High School Association’s (IHSA) new requirement mandating shot clocks for boys’ and girls’ basketball next season.

Additionally, the district plans to spend $464,069 to replace the lighting fixtures and control consoles in the high school auditorium, a system that suffered control malfunctions last August.

Board members enthusiastically supported the lighting upgrade but demanded that the auditorium’s audio system be evaluated as well. Board President Maurice Brown and Board Member William J. Sawallisch Jr. noted that during the recent Black History Month program, the sound system suffered from severe feedback and poor engineering layout.

“As hard as the directors and the students work, it was awful,” Sawallisch Jr. stated. “If we’re going to spend this kind of money on lighting… I would like to make sure that we do it the right way.” Okrasinski confirmed he would have the audio system and mixing board placement evaluated.

The board is expected to take formal action on the flooring bids at its March 16 meeting.