Ill. superintendents won’t appeal ruling on salary

SPRINGFIELD — The state’s regional school superintendents said Thursday they won’t appeal a court ruling upholding Gov. Pat Quinn’s decision to cut off their salaries, choosing instead to fight for the money in the General Assembly.

“Our members are working right now to educate legislators about all the services we provide and good work we do for our school system and taxpayers,” Bob Daiber, president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents, said in a statement. “We are building the support necessary for a responsible solution that restores our state funding.”

In July, Quinn cut off pay to superintendents and their assistants, reducing state spending by about $11 million. He says the state can’t afford to pay the salaries when the budget is so tight that lawmakers cut $150 million from school spending.

The Democratic governor wants local governments to take over the salaries, but made no arrangements for that before vetoing the money out of the state budget. That means regional superintendents generally haven’t been paid since July 1. In some areas, local governments have provided emergency pay or loans so the superintendents and their assistants can pay their mortgages and buy groceries.

The superintendents sued to get the salary money restored, but a Sangamon County judge ruled last month that he didn’t have authority to intervene. Daiber said the group still disagrees with the judge’s ruling but has decided to focus on getting lawmakers to restore the money when they meet for their fall legislative session.

Quinn’s original budget proposal included cutting the superintendents’ pay, but lawmakers rejected the idea. That could mean they’ll be open to overriding his veto next month.

Illinois’ 44 regional offices of education cover a range of responsibilities, from inspecting school buildings to certifying teachers to running GED programs.

Two Democratic state senators are trying to convince fellow lawmakers to override Quinn’s veto that in addition to cutting spending for superintendents and their assistants also cut transportation funding by $89 million.

Sens. Gary Forby of Benton and John Sullivan of Rushville said in a statement that because schools’ transportation budgets in southern and western Illinois have already been slashed, school districts will have no choice but to divert money that would have been spent in classrooms in order to pay for transportation.

“Some bus routes in rural school districts in western Illinois cover hundreds of miles, and when you slash their budget, it’s not like they can just stop picking up students,” Sullivan said.