Lake County Gazette

On January 28, 2025, we at the Lake County Gazette sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Cissna Park Community Unit School District 6. The request pertains to emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, under which this request was made, is a law that provides public access to government documents and records. In our pursuit of comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we requested copies of all emails and memos from the past 12 months containing the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”.

As members of the media, we believe in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Access to these records will help us fulfill our professional responsibilities.

In light of our role in disseminating information to the public, we have also requested a fee waiver as a media professional. We are awaiting a response from Cissna Park Community Unit School District 6 regarding this matter.

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. Interestingly, it's worth noting that about 58% of teachers in Illinois have earned a master's degree or higher.

We at Lake County Gazette remain committed to delivering thorough coverage on matters affecting our local schools and communities.