Lake County Gazette

On January 13, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Gurnee School District 56 in Illinois by the Lake County Gazette. The request specifically sought information regarding the number of non-U.S. citizens or 'migrants' currently enrolled in the school district.

The Lake County Gazette is a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. In their request, they highlighted the importance of access to public records for fulfilling their professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.

The Gazette also requested a fee waiver for this information as part of their role as a media professional disseminating information to the public.

In related news, 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. Furthermore, it was noted that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

As we at Lake County Gazette continue our mission to inform and educate our readers about local government affairs, we believe that understanding these demographics within our school districts is vital. We await Gurnee School District 56's response to our FOIA request.