The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Crete-monee Middle School
Crete-Monee Middle School serves grades six through eight in University Park, a planned south-suburban community south of Chicago organized around Governors State University and a large industrial park. The school enrolls a small-to-medium student body in a village setting that is auto-oriented and spread out rather than walkable.
The school's student population is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and smaller populations of white and multiracial students. Free-and-reduced-price-lunch data was not available, so a parent seeking to understand the economic composition of the student body would need to contact the district directly.
On state testing, Crete-Monee Middle shows a clear strength in English language arts. In grade six, about one-third of students tested met or exceeded proficiency on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness. This improved notably in grades seven and eight, where proficiency reached the mid-to-upper forties. Math performance, by contrast, is a significant concern. In grade six, roughly one in ten students met proficiency. While this rate climbed slightly in grades seven and eight, proficiency remained in the low-to-mid-teens range across all three grades the school serves. Science proficiency in grade eight stood at roughly one in four students tested. Across all subjects and grades where data was reported, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Will County. A parent evaluating this school should recognize that while reading instruction appears stronger, math instruction is substantially below what neighboring districts achieve, and should ask the school directly what interventions are in place for math recovery and how the school is tackling the large gap between ELA and math performance.
Participation rates in state testing were consistently high, approaching or exceeding 98 percent across grades and subjects, indicating the school is not systematically excluding low-performing students from assessments.
The district is in the midst of a sustained facilities modernization. A Short-Term Facility Improvement Plan funded by working cash bonds is replacing water pipes, electrical systems, and adding air conditioning and HVAC upgrades across multiple school buildings. At the high school level, a new Warrior Stadium Sportsplex opened in September, replacing the former football stadium with a multi-purpose facility for football, soccer, track, baseball, softball, and tennis. The district initially sought approval for two new elementary schools (one in University Park) through a bond referendum in 2021, but subsequently shifted strategy to renovation-focused growth rather than new construction, so families arriving later should understand that this middle school is not feeding into a newly built feeder elementary.
University Park itself offers a quiet, low-density residential environment with open space, trails, and a 30-acre lake, but no traditional downtown or walkable commercial core. Governors State University and a large industrial park (home to Amazon distribution, manufacturing, and logistics operations) are the civic and economic anchors. The village station on the Metra Electric line provides transit to downtown Chicago, though with roughly a hour-long commute. Housing values in the surrounding area are moderate for the greater Chicago region, and affordability metrics suggest monthly housing costs are manageable relative to regional income, though parents should verify current market conditions as prices have been rising.
The school itself sits on Olmstead Lane in University Park and serves the local area as part of Crete Monee CUSD 201U, a four-town district. A parent or resident should view this middle school as a working school with accessible local enrollment, a strength in reading instruction, and a math performance challenge that warrants direct conversation with the school about intervention strategies and curriculum. The quiet residential setting and moderate housing costs are real lifestyle assets; the test performance gap between ELA and math is the primary academic question to explore.
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