On January 13, 2025, we at Sangamon Sun sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Community Unit School District 300. The purpose of this request was to obtain information regarding the number of non-U.S. citizens, referred to as "migrants" in the request, currently enrolled in the school district.
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, under which this request was made, is designed to ensure transparency and accountability in public institutions. As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, it is our responsibility to gather and disseminate this kind of information.
In addition to requesting these enrollment numbers, we also sought a fee waiver for this request due to our role as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to the public.
It's important to note that 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. Furthermore, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
As we continue our work at Sangamon Sun towards holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency for our readership, we believe access to such records is essential. We look forward to sharing further updates upon receiving a response from Community Unit School District 300.
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