A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Porta Community Unit School District 202 in Illinois on January 28, 2025. The request, filed by us at Sangamon Sun, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.
The keywords mentioned in the request are "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". These terms are commonly associated with educational programs and curricula. As a news organization committed to comprehensive and accurate coverage of local governmental affairs, we believe it is essential to have access to such records.
This information will allow us to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public. We believe this aligns with our professional responsibilities as a media organization. Furthermore, given our role in disseminating information, we have requested a fee waiver for this FOIA request.
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. Interestingly, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We await a response from Porta Community Unit School District 202 regarding our FOIA request. We will continue to keep our readers updated on any developments regarding this matter.