Mannheim School District 83 Principal Dr. Diego Giraldo (2023) | Mannheim School District 83
Mannheim School District 83 Principal Dr. Diego Giraldo (2023) | Mannheim School District 83
On January 13, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Mannheim School District 83 seeking information about the number of non-U.S. citizens currently enrolled in the district's schools. The request was made by West Cook News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request specifically asked for the number of "migrants" (e.g., illegal aliens/non-U.S. citizens) currently enrolled in the school district. As part of their mission to provide transparency and hold public institutions accountable, West Cook News has emphasized the importance of access to such public records.
In addition to this specific data request, West Cook News also highlighted their role as a media professional and requested a fee waiver for accessing these records.
To provide context around this request, it is worth noting some key statistics about education in Illinois. 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 student-to-administrative ratio averaged at 141:1 and the student-to-teacher ratio at 17:1. Interestingly, over half (58%) of teachers in Illinois held a master's degree or higher.
As we continue our work at West Cook News to bring light to important local issues through accurate reporting and transparency, we await Mannheim School District 83's response to our FOIA request.
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