Lake County Gazette

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Deerfield School District 109 in Illinois on January 28, 2025. The request, submitted by Lake County Gazette, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage of local governmental affairs, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."

As members of the media, we at Lake County Gazette are committed to gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.

In relation to this request, it's important to note some relevant data about education in Illinois. 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 17:1. Additionally, it's worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

We will continue our efforts towards ensuring transparency and accountability within our local government institutions.