On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Peru Elementary School District 124. The request, sent by the Illinois Valley Times, sought access to all emails and memos from the past year containing specific keywords.
The terms in question were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". The purpose of this request is to gather comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. As a media organization, we are committed to holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional. Access to these public records is essential for us at Illinois Valley Times to fulfill our professional responsibilities.
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 enough, it was found that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
This FOIA request aims to shed light on important issues within our education system by examining internal communications within school districts. By doing so, we hope to continue our mission of providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs.
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