Five months ago, Illinois State Board of Education Chair Jesse Ruiz warned that chronic revenue shortfalls were pushing the public school system towards a "cliff." Now he's peering over the edge. As anticipated, Illinois will need to find $1 billion to maintain current levels of state funding next year and Supt. Chris Koch warned this month that rolling back (PDF) state aid appears to be a real possibility. In response, districts are beginning to consider school closures, increased class sizes, and cuts to teachers and extracurricular activities.  Meanwhile, the statehouse remains quiet as the Democratic leadership waits for the primary to pass. Welcome to Illinois ...