On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Hillside School District 93. The request was made by West Cook News, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request specifically asked for copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. The request was made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for receiving the records in an electronic format.
As part of our role at West Cook News, we believe in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Access to these public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. As such, we have requested a fee waiver as media professionals.
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’s also reported that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
We look forward to receiving a response from Hillside School District 93 regarding our FOIA request and will continue our commitment to delivering transparent and accurate news about local government affairs.
