Chicago area districts warn of teacher layoffs, program cuts

FromThe Chicago Tribune: Chicago-area school districts are warning of mass teacher layoffs and deep program cuts for the coming school year — an impending crisis they blame on the recession and the state's chronic financial woes. Earlier from The Springfield State Journal-Register: Illinois state government's backlog of bills associated with kindergarten through 12th grade schools totals about $725 million, according to Carol Knowles, spokeswoman for Comptroller Daniel Hynes.