A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Community High School District 117 on January 28, 2025. The request, sent by the Lake County Gazette, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing specific keywords.
The keywords in question were “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. As stated in the request, access to these public records is vital for us at the Lake County Gazette to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency for the public.
In line with our role as a media organization disseminating information to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary stood at $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is reported as 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Interestingly, it was also noted that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
As we continue our mission to provide comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs, we await a response from Community High School District 117 regarding our FOIA request.
