On January 28, 2025, we at the Lake County Gazette submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Fenton Community High School District 100. The request sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study.”
As part of our commitment to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe access to these public records is essential. It allows us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, under which this request was made, supports our pursuit for transparency in government operations. We hope that through this request, we can shed light on important matters within our local education system.
In related news, according to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is at 17:1. Interestingly enough, it’s also reported that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
We will continue our efforts in gathering and reporting news to ensure that our community stays informed about its local government affairs.
