On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Carterville Community Unit School District 5. The request, sent by us at Carbondale Reporter, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords.
As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we are particularly interested in records containing the terms “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. Our aim is to provide transparency and hold public institutions accountable through our reporting.
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) grants us the right to access these public records. Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
In related news, 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, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, over half (58%) of teachers in Illinois have earned a master's degree or higher.
As always, we remain committed to bringing you comprehensive coverage on local government affairs. We will continue to follow this story closely and provide updates as they become available.
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