Governor Dithers While Schools Wait SPRINGFIELD, IL (wqub) - Illinois schools continue to wait for money they've been promised. That's because Governor Rod Blagojevich has delayed taking action on a budget measure. Amanda Vinicky reports:

Illinois school districts are due an additional 550-million dollars. It's money schools would typically start to receive in August. Until Blagojevich signs the technical budget legislation ... schools won't see a dime.

Senator Mike Frerichs ... a Democrat from Champaign ... says the delay is harmful for districts who've been waiting for months.

"They big deal is they haven't gotten their money. And there are schools out there that have had to take our loans, and that costs them money. I think another problem is a lack of trust. And you can tell them all day long that they're going to get their money but it makes it really tough to budget when you don't know if it's coming or not.

Frerichs says he's even more frustrated because it was Blagojevich who chided the legislature for taking too long to get the measure to him.


"That's why I'm very, very confused. For a month he went around complaining about the Speaker of the House not calling the budget implementation bill. Had schools, school chiefs and superintendents running around the state telling people we need to pass this. Well finally, the House passed it. And now he's been sitting on it. And I don't see him signing it anytime soon. But I would encourage him to."

Blagojevich said last week that he's reviewing the measure. His spokeswoman says schools WILL definitely get the half-billion dollars ... and possibly even more.

I'm Amanda Vinicky. © Copyright 2009, wqub