A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Nokomis Community Unit School District 22 in Illinois on January 28, 2025. The request, filed by South Central Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study.”
As representatives of South Central Reporter, we believe that access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we have requested a fee waiver as media professionals.
This request comes at a time when education is under intense scrutiny in Illinois. According to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary was $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio stands at 141:1, and the average student-to-teacher ratio is at 17:1. Interestingly, it’s worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master’s degree or higher.
Our aim with this FOIA request is to shed light on important issues related to education within our community. We will continue working tirelessly to provide accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
