A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Rondout School District 72 on January 13, 2025. The request, made by the Lake County Gazette, a media organization committed to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought information regarding the number of non-U.S. citizens currently enrolled in the school district.
The FOIA request specifically asked for the number of "migrants" (e.g., illegal aliens/non-U.S. citizens) currently enrolled in the school district. As part of our role in gathering and reporting news to the public, we at Lake County Gazette believe access to such public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
In addition to requesting this specific data, we also sought a fee waiver as a media professional given our role in disseminating information.
According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, and the state average Administrative Salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We are awaiting a response from Rondout School District 72 regarding our FOIA request.
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