While the General Assembly enjoys their two-week spring break, school districts across Illinois are circulating pink slips and slashing their budgets for the next school year.  Below is a round-up of related news articles from the past couple weeks.  It's bad out there, folks.  And so far, the Democratic leadership is giving no indication that they plan to do anything about it this session:

- Peoria School District 150 laid off 290 employees and may terminate another 200-400 staff members before the fall. (Illinois Statehouse News, April 6) 

- District 303 in St. Charles is planning for another round of multi-million budget cuts. (Kane County Chronicle, April 2)

- Marengo-Union District 165 likely will be working with about six fewer employees on its staff next year. (Northwest Herald, April 2)

- The Plainfield School Board voted to fire 52 teachers. (Plainfield Sun, April 2)

- Northern Illinois University might have to consider laying off more than 250 staff members next year if the state's fiscal situation doesn't approve, according to the school's president. (Kane County Chronicle, March 31)

- Hononegah School District is letting go of three teachers, 16 union and two non-union support staffers. (WREX, March 31).

- Sixty-one first-year teachers are scheduled to receive dismissal notices from the Oswego school district. (ABC 7, April 1)

- Triad schools pink slipped 34 non-tenured teachers, five part-time certified staff members, and two part-time support staff. (Belleville News-Democrat, April 1)

- Central Illinois districts are bleeding teachers and programs. To date, Danville cut 85 employees, the Urbana School District laid off 139 teachers and support staff in February, and the Champaign school board approved $2.3 million in cuts for next year, reducing or eliminating summer enrichment programs, new textbooks, special education programs, and more. (Champaign News-Gazzette, March 31).

- University of Illinois-Extension expects to announce budget cuts in early April as it prepares for a possible $5.59 million state budget reduction. Officials will likely close or consolidate its 12 Extension centers. (Rockford Register-Star, March 31)

- The Knoxville School Board approved the reduction in force of 11 elementary and junior high school aides. (Galesburg Register-Mail, March 29)

- Orland School District 135 voted to cut three full-time teachers and a part-time kindergarten teacher as part of the district's reduction in force process. (SouthtownStar, March 30).

- Fifty-two Glendale Heights teachers are scheduled to lose jobs at the end of the year, prompting protests from students. (Daily Herald, March 26)

- Nearly 300 District 189 East St. Louis school employees will be laid off next year, including more than 130 teachers. Administrators, social workers, and counselors will also be targeted. (AP, March 28)

- Evergreen Park School District 124 decide to fire 11 teachers, including six members of the special education faculty, and eight teacher aides. (Neighborhood Star, March 26 and Chicago Tribune, April 2)

- The Mercer County School District is moving forward with a plan to eliminate 21 positions. (Quad-City Times, March 26).

- Dupo School District 196 cut 19 full-time teacher jobs and 15 support staff jobs. (Belleville News-Democrat, March 25)

- Four teachers and 13 staff members from Granite City schools. (Belleville News-Democrat, March 25)

- Highland Community Unit School District 5 has announced 40 layoffs of teachers and staff. (Belleville News-Democrat, March 25)

- Edwardsville schools have cut 60 jobs, including 25 teachers. (Belleville News-Democrat, March 25)

- The Quincy School Board voted unanimously to release 78 personnel members, including 28 full-time teachers and 10 part-time teachers. (Quincy Herald-Whig, March 24)

- In the Metro-East region, Bethalto school officials let go of 54 non-tenured teachers and 11 other staff members, Edwardsville fired 60 staffers (including 25 teachers), and Alton canned 29 teachers and 19 other staffers. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 25)

- Facing $340,000 in late payments and a possible $400,000 drop in state funding, the Salem Grade School Board voted to release two certified teachers. (WJBD, March 24)

- Board members of Anna School District 37 voted to lay off 34 employees. (WSIL, April 6)

- The school board of District 200 in Wheaton is scheduled to consider nearly $7 million in budget cuts, the bulk of the cuts are expected to be teacher layoffs. (ABC 7, March 24)

- On top of 153 teachers released for budgetary reasons by the school board earlier this month, Community Unit School District 300 in Carpentersville plans to lay off an additional 113 teachers and 10 district administrators. Class sizes will rise above 30 students across all subjects and grade levels. (The Courier-News, March 24 and Daily Herald, March 26 and 27)

- If state funding for education worsens, Charleston High School may eliminate funding for all extracurricular activities and try to rely on booster club funding instead. (Journal Gazette, Times-Courier, March 23)

- The Harrisburg school district has decided to cut 12 positions, including three with tenure. (KFVS, March 24)

- The North Boone school board voted to dismiss eight teachers who had not yet reached their fifth year in the district. (Rockford Register-Star, March 24)

- Regional Superintendent of Schools Robert Daiber says that school districts throughout Madison County are either cutting or eliminating early childhood classes because of budget concerns. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 24)

- The Du Quoin school board eliminated the positions of 26 non-certified support staff members and another 11 extra-curricular positions. (The Carmi Times, March 19)

- Eastern Illinois University would stand to lose $3 million in funding if education funding is trimmed in the 2011 budget. The school is preparing itself for potential cuts. (Daily Eastern News, March 22)

- Indian Prairie Unit District 204 in Aurora and Naperville has warned parents that the district may eliminate as many as 145 teaching and 19 administrative positions, as well as increase registration fees, put off building and technology projects, freeze administrator pay and increase class sizes, among other things. (Daily Herald, March 22)

- The Triopia School District, still waiting on $175,000 in appropriated money from the state, cut its pre-kindergarten teacher and 13 support staff. (Jacksonville Journal-Courier, March 20)

- Owed $2.8 million in late payments from the state, the Belvidere school district has already fired 57 non-tenured teachers. Rockton and Oregon have already outlined staff cuts for the 2010-11 school year, as well. (Rockford Register-Star, March 21)

- Hundreds of pink slips landed in mailboxes of mostly non-tenured teachers in the south suburbs of Chicago, including 87 non-tenured teachers in Chicago Heights School District 170. (SouthtownStar, March 21)

- Despite protests from students and parents, Harlem School District officials are considering the dismissal of about 150 teachers and staff members. (WIFR Rockford, March 20)

- Rockford District 205 is draining $30 million from its reserve fund to keep next year's budget balanced. (WTVO Rockford, March 22)

- Forced two cut $2 million from next year's butget, the Urbana School Board laid off 139 teachers. (Rockford Register-Star, March 20)

- Anticipating a reduction in state aid, Raccoon School Board of Education voted to dismiss two certified staff and nine non-certified staff. (WJBD Salem, March 20)

- Elgin's U-46 school district could cut up to 25 percent of its school staff, which would result in 1,100 layoffs. (Rockford Register-Star, March 20; Daily Herald, March 22 )

- A proposed $1.3 billion cut in education funding could force Chicago Public Schools to cut as many as 3,200 teachers, increase class size to 37 students, and eliminate preschool for 10,000 students. (Rockford Register-Star, March 20; CBS 2, March 23)

Of course, the pain extends beyond just the schools.  Here's a sampling of articles pertaining to other sectors -- police, city governments, social service agencies -- that are struggling to stay afloat amid the budget crisis:

- Union County commissioners cut five percent from every department in their amended 2010 budget. (The Southern, March 30)

- About 70,000 adults and children in Illinois would lose access to state-funded mental health services and another 4,000 would be displaced from community-based housing under Gov. Quinn's proposed budget, advocates for the mentally ill warned Friday. (Chicago Sun-Times, March 27)

- The villages of Antioch ( $340,000), Lake Villa ($200,000), Elmwood Park ($577,500), River Grove ($246,430), and Lindenhurst ($351,000), and Hillsboro ($138,000) are bracing for cuts in aid to localities. (Lake Villa Review, March 25; Elm Leaves, March 25; and the Journal-News, March 25)

- The Illinois Department of Human Services is proposing cutting $125,000 from its allocation to Kane County's infant mortality prevention efforts. (Aurora Beacon-News, March 25)

- Illinois sheriff's deputies see their jobs getting harder in dealing with methamphetamine and other problems if massive State Police layoffs become reality. (Rockford Register-Star, March 25)

- Social service providers in the Chicago- and Decatur-area are struggling to deliver timely services because of delayed state payments. (Herald-Review, March 25 and Chicago Defender, March 24)

- Two Pontiac-based agencies that provide therapy and disability services in Livingston County may have to restrict services only to people covered by Medicaid. (Pantagraph, March 24)

- Illinois State Police Acting Director Jonathon Monken told legislators that the proposed $58.1 million in cuts outlined in Gov. Pat Quinn's budget would eliminate 460 troopers and cripple the agency. Five entire districts would be shut down. (Quincy Herald-Whig, March 20; Illinois Statehouse News, March 24)

- Reduced tax receipts and state funding may prompt the city of Belleville to fire three employees. (Belleville News-Democrat, March 24)

-Lagging state reimbursements are forcing Pike County officials to look at budget cuts, including personnel. (Quincy Herald-Whig, March 24)

- Without an emergency payment of $200,000 from the state, Family Home Service will have to close, laying off all 240 workers, and leaving 550 seniors in Chicago without help. (CBS 2, March 23)

- The Springfield Park District plans to eliminate 25 full-time positions at the end of April. (State Journal-Register, March 23)

- The city of Galesburg is preparing to open a $7 million line of credit with Wells Fargo as a precaution against delays in state payments. (Galesburg Register-Mail, March 21)

- Kane County hasn't seen its share of the state's income tax disbursement for nearly six months, forcing officials to dig into their reserve fund. The state also is behind on salary reimbursements for probation staff. (Geneva Sun, March 21)

- Proposed cuts to local governments could force Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline to fire 10 to 16 firefighters or police offers. Kankakee County towns like Bourbonnais ($425,000), Bradley ($335,000), Manteno ($159,000), Watseka, ($131,000), Dwight ($100,000), Peotone ($78,000), Momence ($73,000), and Herscher ($37,000) would also need to close shortfalls. (WQAD Rockford, Daily Journal, March 21)

- Advocates for intellectual and developmental disability services fear lawmakers might further reduce funding for their programs. (Medill Reports, March 17)

In the coming week, we're going to begin systematically tracking the budget fallout, much like we did last summer.  So stay tuned for more on that.