Berkeley School District 87 Principal Dr. Dan Sullivan (2023) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sullivan-98b0221a7/
Berkeley School District 87 Principal Dr. Dan Sullivan (2023) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sullivan-98b0221a7/
On January 13, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Berkeley School District 87 seeking data on 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 information on how many "migrants" (e.g., illegal aliens/non-U.S. citizens) are currently enrolled in the school district. The query emphasized the importance of access to public records for journalists in their role of holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
As part of our investigation into this matter, we at West Cook News have also looked into some key statistics regarding education in Illinois. 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, it was found that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
Our team at West Cook News believes that these statistics provide important context when considering the resources available for educating all students within our school districts - including those who may be non-U.S. citizens.
We look forward to sharing more updates as we receive responses from Berkeley School District 87 and other educational institutions across Illinois.
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