Bellwood School District 88 Principal Dr. Victoria Hansen (2023) | Bellwood School District 88
Bellwood School District 88 Principal Dr. Victoria Hansen (2023) | Bellwood School District 88
On January 13, 2025, we at West Cook News sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Bellwood School District 88 in Illinois. The request seeks to uncover the number of non-U.S. citizens, referred to as "migrants," currently enrolled in the school district.
As a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, it is our duty to hold public institutions accountable and provide transparency to the public. Access to such public records is essential for us to fulfill these professional responsibilities.
In our request, we also stated our eligibility for a fee waiver as media professionals involved in gathering and reporting news to the public.
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. Furthermore, it was reported that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We believe that understanding enrollment demographics within our schools can provide valuable context for these statistics and help illuminate areas where resources may be needed most.
We await a response from Bellwood School District 88 regarding this matter.