The Illinois State Board of Education has just finished hearing nearly two hours of public comments during an emergency meeting in Springfield -- “the longest, actually, that I can recall,” one board member said.

The board called the meeting when it learned that the stopgap budget approved by the state legislature last week only provided about $500 million in funding for $900 million worth of programs.

“This is a rough year,” one board member said. “Next year could be a catastrophic year if the legislature does not act.”

Early childhood education, bilingual education, gifted education and mentoring programs, among others, all stand to be cut. What programs matter most to you? 

Officials said at the meeting that, because of a lack of federal funds, the state board of education will need to come up with $1 billion by next year “just to tread water” in its budget.

During the public comment period, one Chicago Public Schools teacher pleaded with ISBE to “spin straw into gold” and keep funding a program that pairs experienced teachers with new teachers who want to get their National Board Certification.

“Without my mentor I don’t think that I would have been able to achieve (what I have),” the CPS teacher said.

The meeting is streamed live online. You can listen to it here (RealPlayer) or here (Windows Media).

The board will vote on the budget, including which programs will be reduced or eliminated, before the meeting ends. I'll keep updating this post as the meeting progresses.