School officials in District 201-U are sporting some snazzy new jackets, an ongoing celebration of the just-completed Warrior Stadium Sportsplex at Crete-Monee High School.
The board wore their letterman’s jackets to the December 16 board meeting.
“As the elected representatives of the community, our board members work continuously to engage with our students, families, and community stakeholders about the district and its programs, building ongoing trust and support, and gathering input from our community,” said Dr. Kara Coglianese, superintendent of CM schools.
“As part of that mission, the board, through its members, seeks to raise awareness of the accomplishments and opportunities available within our district. The district provided the board members with jackets to support this work.
“The jackets allow the members to be identifiable to members of the community who may not be familiar with them individually and to spark engagement from community stakeholders about the district, its programs, and issues or concerns community members may have. This ongoing collaboration and information gathering allow the district to ensure we are addressing our needs holistically.
“When our board members proudly display Crete-Monee gear, it leads to direct engagement and discussion about our district, which benefits our organization.
“These took a long time to order, as we originally ordered them for the opening of the sports complex back in October,” Coglianese added.
“They just came in this month. They will be wearing them at sporting events to show their support. Our officials are the only ones with them, which will offer an opportunity for them to effectively engage with all of our stakeholders.”
Coglianese said the jackets cost $275 each.
“We are so proud of our district and want to highlight it,” she said.
“We have partnered with several stores in our area to offer CM 201-U spirit wear for the public also to purchase to show their community support. Some of the stores are Walgreens in South Chicago Heights, CVS in Park Forest, plus several stores in the Crete downtown area.”
A complete list of partner vendors is available on the district website, under “Community.”
Crete-Monee has garnered bragging rights this year, with a ranking in the top 40 percent of high schools nationwide, earning the distinction of a U.S. News Best High School, which earned the district an eligibility to display the official 2025-26 Best High Schools award badge.
CMHS is ranked 143rd in Illinois and 3,921st nationally.