Lake County Gazette

On January 28, 2025, we at the Lake County Gazette submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Granite City Community Unit School District 9. The request sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained specific keywords.

The keywords in question were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". Our intent behind this request is to gather comprehensive information about local governmental affairs, with a particular focus on these two topics. As an organization committed to providing accurate news coverage, we believe access to such public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities.

In our role as journalists, we are dedicated to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. We also requested a fee waiver as media professionals under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140.

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. It's noteworthy that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

We will continue our efforts in disseminating accurate information and fostering transparency within our community. We believe that through this process, we can help promote accountability within our local government institutions.