Will County Offers Temporary Support to Regional Office of Education

The funding situation for Illinois' regional offices of education is still in a state of flux after Gov. Pat Quinn slashed about $11 million in state support for 44 superintendents and about 40 assistants earlier this summer.

However, the Will County Board isn't waiting for the state to restore funding to its Regional Office of Education.

Board members unanimously voted Thursday to provide $2,000 a month in assistance for the regional superintendent and the assistant superintendent. That temporary funding will last until the end of the year, but county officials say it would be reimbursed if state funding is restored.

Will County Board Chair Jim Moustis is urging the General Assembly to override the governor's veto of state funding of regional offices of education. Quinn has said local governments should pick up the tab for those salaries, but Moustis said that is not a feasible long-term solution.

"I mean this would be like saying, 'What if they said tomorrow we're not paying judges? And let the counties pay judges, or you pay the state's attorney.' It's the same type of principle. Wouldn't you think?" Moustis said. "Until there's a viable alternative presented, this is what we have."

The superintendents have been working without pay since July 1. They perform a list of duties-many required by the state-including certifying teachers, doing background checks and running truancy programs.

Despite a lawsuit filed by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools demanding paychecks from the state, a circuit judge last month upheld Gov. Quinn's authority to eliminate salaries for regional school superintendents across Illinois.