Lake County Gazette

On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the New Trier Township High School District 203. The request, made by Lake County Gazette, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, asked for copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.

The keywords specified in the request were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". The requester has sought these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, and has expressed a preference for receiving them in an electronic format.

At Lake County Gazette, we believe access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we have requested a fee waiver as a media professional.

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 recorded as being 141:1 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, it was found that 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master's degree or higher.

As we continue our mission to bring light to local governmental affairs through comprehensive reporting, we look forward to sharing more insights gleaned from these requested documents with our readership.