CHICAGO – Illinois will reduce the number of regional school superintendents by roughly 20 percent and look at beefing up math requirements for middle and high school students under education-related bills Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law Monday.

Regional superintendents – elected officials whose duties include certifying teachers and offering GED classes – have often been a target for public officials looking to reduce state spending. Quinn has wanted to eliminate the positions and last year used his veto power to cancel their salaries to save roughly $13 million. But four months later, he restored pay and legislators shifted their funding from state to local money.

The new law cuts the number of superintendents to 35. There are currently 44 in office, although the state can have 45. By 2015, each region must contain at least 61,000 people, up from 43,000. Offices can consolidate voluntarily or let the Illinois State Board of Education decide, according to the new law.