Around 150 Stateline teachers will soon learn their fate with the Belvidere school district as they become the next potential victim of the Illinois' massive budget deficit.

Right now the state of Illinois owes School District 100 more than two-million dollars and that number is expected to double.

"The state of Illinois has been delinquent in its commitment to us, the tax-payers and the school district of Belvidere. They have promised us money and they have reneged on that. They have done nothing but issue us an I.O.U.," says District 100 Superintendent Michael Houselog.

In preparation for the mounting debt the district's board of education is voting on a proposal to essentially fire all teachers with three or less years of experience. That equals about 150 teachers but not all of them would be unemployed come June.

"At the end of the day we don't believe we're going to lose that many teachers that we're doing the reduction of force in. We'll be able to bring some back after we go through the process of taking a look at where all the bumps are and where all the moves happen," says District 100 Board of Education Vice President Doug Smiley.

Even though teachers are expected to be hired back some Belvidere parents say 150 pink slips is just too many.

"A few teachers, yeah I understand that, that's being responsible, that's being fiscally responsible, but cutting 150 teachers across the board just because they don't have enough experience, that's ridiculous," says District 100 parent Mary Kaspar.

"I don't want to see anybody lose their job, and especially teachers when we struggle for such a quality of education anyway around the United States, it's just horrible," says District 100 parent Coco Zeman.

Other parents and teachers have suggested following Rockford school district's example and use some of District 100's $17 million in reserve funds. Superintendent Houselog says without those reserve funds to cover future state withholdings the district could go bankrupt.

Houselog says we won't know when the true number of teachers being let go will be determined. It all depends on when the state solidifies its budget and decides how much it will pay the district.

A large public turnout is expected for the Belvidere school board. The meeting will be held at Belvidere Central Middle School tomorrow night at 6pm.

(Chip Brewster is available via email AND facebook... feel free to shoot him a message or friend him at any time)