On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Woodstock Community Unit School District 200. The request, sent by us at McHenry Times, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study".
As a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we believe that access to public records is crucial for our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we consider ourselves eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
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. Interestingly, it was also noted that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
Our request for these documents is driven by our commitment to provide our readers with a clear understanding of how their local government operates. We will continue to use tools like FOIA requests to ensure transparency and accountability within our community's public institutions.
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