On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Chester-East Lincoln Community Consolidated School District 61. The request, made by Sangamon Sun, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, asked for copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained specific keywords.
The requested records were those containing the terms “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study.” As stated in the request, access to these public records is crucial for Sangamon Sun's role in gathering and reporting news to the public. The organization seeks to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to its readership.
In line with their commitment to disseminating information as a media entity, Sangamon Sun has also requested a fee waiver for this FOIA request.
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 reported as 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Notably, 58% of teachers in Illinois have earned a master's degree or higher.
As we continue our work at Sangamon Sun in providing comprehensive coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe that access to such records will significantly contribute towards our mission of promoting transparency and accountability within our community's public institutions.
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