Illinois remains one of the top U.S. states residents are leaving, according to three moving companies.

Last year Illinois led the nation in percentage of outbound moves in a report by North American Van Lines, a unit of Oakbrook Terrace-based Sirva. It was the state’s fourth time as outbound leader since 2014, according to the report.

Outgoing Democratic state Rep. Dan Burke resigned from the Illinois House more than a week before the end of his term, ending his 28-year run in Springfield early after his primary defeat last year.

A letter from Burke to House Speaker Michael Madigan filed with the secretary of state’s office, dated Sunday, does not give a reason for his early retirement, saying only: “Please consider this my official notice of resignation, effective Dec. 30, 2018.” Burke could not immediately be reached for comment.

Illinois school officials say they are beginning to plan their 2019-20 calendars, now that two extra days have been added to the school year.

The state is requiring schools to be in session for a minimum of 176 days. But there will be no minimum amount of time students need to be in class like there used to be.

A former Chicago Public Schools teacher was hired at a local elementary school even though he listed a guilty plea to misdemeanor charges involving sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old boy on his job application, according to an annual report from the district’s inspector general.

But a school system background check never revealed any criminal convictions in the recently ousted teacher’s history, CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler’s office said, including the charge the educator disclosed to CPS before getting hired in 2003.

In its recent report alleging that racism still tinges Chicago Park District distribution of resources 30 years after a consent decree, Friends of the Parks “manipulates and distorts to highlight its own agenda,” park district officials say.

In a 40-page response, Park District Supt. Michael Kelly called the report from Friends of the Parks “incendiary and divisive,” adding: “In an attempt to make their organization relevant, FOTP intentionally cites old data and manipulates and distorts the analysis and methodology of current data.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is taking another look at the county’s parking lot and garage tax, auditing private parking companies to potentially collect millions in back taxes.

The county has already brought in about $700,000 related to disallowed residential parking exemptions discovered through the auditing process, Nick Shields, a spokesman for Preckwinkle, said in a statement.

DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin says he’s prepared to have the panel vote this month to merge the county clerk’s office with the much-troubled election commission.

But the Elmhurst Republican first wants newly elected County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek to sign off on the plan.

Health and dental benefits for county board members cost Kane County taxpayers nearly $240,000 in 2018.

That’s an expense new county board member Mo Iqbal labeled “corruption” and a “conflict of interest” in proposing to eliminate such benefits for what he considers part-time work.