Education Budget Cuts Complicate Push for Stimulus Money SPRINGFIELD, IL (wsiu) - Illinois is competing with 16 other states for a $300 million education windfall. It's part of the federal stimulus program, but Illinois' School Superintendent says the state's budget problems could doom the effort. Illinois faces a huge deficit.

Christopher Koch (Cook) said he met with federal authorities in Washington and they expressed concerns over how Illinois would comply with certain requirements at a time when school funding is on the chopping block.

"Some of the states that are hemorrhaging the worst," Koch said, "California, Michigan, aren't even in the running for these funds. So I think there could be an implication with a reduction to our budget impacting our ability to have a convincing argument for delivery of these types of reforms."

The federal money would require the state work toward turning around low-performing schools and improve tracking of student performance.

Winners will be announced next month. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has proposed cutting $1.3 billion in school funding, but he also backs a tax increase that he says would prevent the reduction. © Copyright 2012, wsiu