Illinois has 852 school districts — the third highest number of any state in the nation. Some are just single schools, with fewer than a hundred students. But getting districts to merge, or consolidate, has proven difficult.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti is hailing cooperation between the Urbana Park District and the Urbana School District as an example for the rest of the state. She spoke Tuesday at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center, a facility owned by the school district  and managed by the park district.

Central Illinois corn and soybean farmer Norbert Brauer said he remembers when he could plant an acre of corn for about $100 total — but that was nearly three decades ago.