Governor makes good on promise to cut funding for Regional Supt.

Regional Supts. Cut from State Budget

By WEEK Producer
By Denise Jackson

July 1, 2011 Updated Jul 1, 2011 at 6:25 PM CDT

The governor's budget also eliminated funding for 46 regional school superintendents.
The announcement comes as the local regional school superintendent was being sworn in today.

Peoria County Regional School Superintendent Dr. Gerald Brookhart was sworn into office Friday despite word Governor Quinn cut funding for 46 Regional Superintendents around the state.

"The saving that the governor feels he's gonna make of 11-point three million just will pale in comparison to what other offices, ourselves included , one of the leading offices, but it's well over 100 million dollars that the regional offices bring into their communities," Brookhart said.

Brookhart posted a sign outside his courthouse office about the budget cuts. Despite getting the ax it's business as usual. For weeks he's spearheaded relocating the former Academy alternative high school from Illinois Central College to Wildlife Prairie State Park and securing grants for the program.
He says even though the governor has cut money for his position it's protected under the state constitution and the legislature would have to vote to eliminate it.
Brookhart says he won't let up despite the governor's veto.

"Well I plan on having a nice holiday but I assume that most of them are gonna say hey we got a job and a a responsibility and we'll do it today and we'll come back rejuvinate ourselves over the holiday weekend come back on the 5th of July and start all over again," he said.

Brookhart says unless the money is restored soon it's likely the issue will wind up in court.

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