A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Effingham Community Unit School District 40 on January 28, 2025. The request, made by East Central Reporter, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study".
As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability in public institutions, we at East Central Reporter believe that access to these records is crucial. It allows us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Notably, 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master's degree or higher.
In light of these statistics, it becomes even more essential for us as a media organization to have access to information that can help shed light on how these resources are being utilized within our educational institutions. As such, we are hopeful that our FOIA request will be granted promptly so we can continue providing accurate and comprehensive news coverage for our readers.
We have requested a fee waiver for this FOIA request given our role as a media organization disseminating information to the public. We await a response from Effingham Community Unit School District 40 regarding this matter.
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