Saturday, July 09, 2011
 
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Regional school offices to remain open for now

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[July 09, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- Illinois' regional education offices will remain open despite Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of funding for salaries, according to the head of a group representing the regional schools chiefs.

Bob Daiber, president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, said Friday that the 44 regional superintendents will fulfill their duties, which include inspecting schools, checking employee backgrounds and certifying teachers.

The group met Thursday with Quinn's staff about how to pay regional superintendents and their assistants, said Daiber, who is Madison County regional superintendent of schools.

The governor's budget director, David Vaught, was at the meeting and discussed how superintendents could be paid from the "personal property replacement tax," which corporations and business partnerships pay instead of local property taxes, Daiber said.

State government collects the money as an income tax and sends it to schools, cities, counties and other local governments. Since that solution would require legislative action, it won't be decided until October, at the earliest, when lawmakers return to Springfield.

The governor's staff and the regional superintendents will look for alternative sources of funding until then, Daiber said.

Quinn announced last week that he was cutting $9.1 million that would have provided salaries for the regional superintendents and their assistants, along with $2.2 million from their operations budget. The Democratic governor had suggested the same cut in March when he presented his budget proposal, but lawmakers rejected the idea.

Quinn continues to support paying the superintendents "from local sources" and wants lawmakers to address the issue in October, said Brooke Anderson, a Quinn spokeswoman.

"In the meantime, we are continuing to work with representatives for the (regional education offices) to determine whether there are alternative sources of funding that can be accessed in the interim," Anderson said.

"In the meantime, we are continuing to work with representatives for the (regional education offices) to determine whether there are alternative sources of funding that can be accessed in the interim," Anderson said.

[Associated Press; By CHRISTOPHER WILLS]

Christopher Wills can be reached at http://twitter.com/ChrisBWills.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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