* 9:59 am - Considering that their lawsuit was so quickly knocked down in the lower court, and considering that the veto session is just around the corner, this is probably a wise move. From a press release…

The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, representing regional offices of education and intermediate service centers in Illinois, today issued the following statement on an appeal of a lawsuit challenging Gov. Pat Quinn’s cut of their funding in the current state budget:

“Regional superintendents of schools have decided not to pursue an appeal of the Aug. 26 Sangamon County court decision that denied us immediate restoration of our pay. As we said at the time of the ruling, we are disappointed in the outcome and are not dissuaded in our belief that this is an unfair situation and should not continue. However, we respect the court’s decision and believe it’s time now to focus on the next step.

“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. We are building the support necessary for a responsible solution that restores our state funding. Even as the personal hardships grow without receiving a paycheck, regional superintendents are resolved to both follow through on the duties we were elected to perform and show our value to legislators, who will be asked to stand with us in the upcoming fall veto session.”

They’ll probably get their override.

Also, in case you’re wondering why the state can shaft the superintendents while five Cook County commissioners are probably right when they say their furloughs are illegal, well, they fall under a different set of laws. The same goes for judges, who forced the state to pay their cost of living adjustments a few years ago. Their compensation is guaranteed in the state’s Constitution.

*** UPDATE *** And the override movement begins. From a press release…

Illinois State Senators Gary Forby (D-Benton) and John Sullivan (D-Rushville) are calling on legislators to take action and override the governor’s veto to education transportation funding and the regional offices of education when they return for fall veto session beginning October 25. As members of the Senate Democratic Downstate Caucus, Forby and Sullivan issued a letter to their Senate colleagues highlighting the unfair burden and impact these vetoes will have on rural Illinois school districts.

After months of negotiations, the General Assembly reached and passed a budget compromise for Fiscal Year 2012 that reduced state spending by over $1 billion. This budget was then sent to the governor’s desk where he cut school transportation funding by an additional $89 million, or 30 percent, and eliminated another $11 million from the Regional Offices of Education (ROEs), which includes funding for 44 superintendents and about 40 assistants. Forby and Sullivan are quick to point out that schools’ transportation budgets are already strained because this same line item was already cut last year by a third, which cover school districts’ costs for transporting students to-and-from school and pay for fuel and maintenance costs.

“Transportation funding is vital here in Southern Illinois,” Senator Forby said. “Our school districts downstate will be crushed with the loss of these funds. Money that could have been put back into the classroom will have to go towards transportation costs and that’s not something that a lot of schools in my district can afford to take on. I hope legislators will realize the importance of this issue and override the governor’s veto when we go back in session.”

Forby and Sullivan, members of the Senate Democratic Downstate Caucus, argue that the governor’s veto will put an unfair burden on the downstate and rural districts, where students need to travel many miles to get to school.

“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,” Senator Sullivan said. “I supported a budget that made fair and equitable cuts across the board, and with many downstate school districts still coping with the massive cuts delivered just last year, I cannot support this additional cut that so disproportionately disadvantages downstate Illinois. I encourage my colleagues to stand with Senator Forby and I in restoring funding to school transportation budgets.”