Crete-Monee Awards Major Contracts for Middle School Flooring and District Landscaping

Crete-Monee School District 201-U Meeting | March 16, 2026

Article Summary: The Board of Education finalized nearly half a million dollars in new operational and infrastructure contracts, while also authorizing over $1.9 million in payouts for ongoing summer facility projects.

Facility Contracts Key Points:

• Douglas Floor Covering was awarded a $364,800 contract to replace buckling carpet with tile at Crete-Monee Middle School.

• Shelton Companies Inc. secured the district-wide landscaping and lawn care contract at $118,125 per year for 2026 and 2027.

• The board approved a $1,204,886.50 payment to Byrne & Jones Construction for athletic facility work at the high school.

• BEAR Construction received three separate payouts totaling over $726,000 for ongoing renovations at the middle and high schools.

The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education on Monday, March 16, 2026, officially awarded multiple operational and infrastructure contracts as part of its ongoing Short-Term Facility Plan.

The board unanimously awarded a $364,800 contract to Douglas Floor Covering to replace failing flooring at Crete-Monee Middle School. According to the project specifications, the work will target classrooms and hallways in use prior to the building’s 2015 addition. The district has battled recurring moisture issues that cause the existing carpet to buckle every summer, creating tripping hazards and delaying summer cleaning routines.

Under the approved contract, Douglas Floor Covering will install Tarkett Tile in the classrooms and Texas Granite tile in the remaining corridors, creating visual uniformity throughout the building. The project falls well within the $380,584 contingency budget allocated for the middle school in the district’s 2024-2026 Facility Plan.

In operational business, the board unanimously awarded a multi-year landscaping and lawn care maintenance contract to Shelton Companies Inc. The Chicago Heights-based company submitted the lowest base bid of $16,875 per month. The contract will cost the district $118,125 annually for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with a district option to extend the service into 2028.

The scope of the landscaping contract covers all district properties, including regular mowing, trimming, core aeration, and mulch installation. Notably, the district will receive a deduction per acre for areas featuring newly installed synthetic turf and zones currently under construction near the high school sportsplex and middle school.

Additionally, the board utilized its consent agenda to authorize a massive wave of payouts to contractors managing the district’s ongoing capital improvements.

The board approved a $1,204,886.50 payment (Application #14) to Byrne & Jones Construction for the expansive athletics facility project at Crete-Monee High School.

BEAR Construction was also approved for three separate payouts. The board authorized a $407,983.83 payment (Application #4) and a $315,989.24 payment (Application #5) for ongoing addition and renovation work at the middle school. A final $2,625.25 payment was approved for BEAR Construction’s work on the concession stand at the high school stadium.