Lake County Gazette

On January 28, 2025, we at the Lake County Gazette sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Wauconda Community Unit School District 118. The request pertains to emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.

The keywords in question are "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". As a news organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate coverage of local government affairs, our request is driven by the need for transparency and accountability in public institutions. We believe access to these records will aid us in fulfilling our professional responsibilities.

Our role as media professionals involves gathering and reporting news to the public. Given this role, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as stipulated 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, while the state average administrative salary stood at $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly, it's worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

We remain committed to providing transparency and holding public institutions accountable through rigorous journalism. We eagerly await the response from Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 regarding our FOIA request.