On January 13, 2025, we at South Cook News submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Summit School District 104 in Illinois. The request sought information about the number of non-U.S. citizens currently enrolled in the school district.
As part of our ongoing commitment to provide comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we requested these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. We specifically asked for the data in an electronic format for ease of analysis and reporting.
The primary focus of this inquiry is to understand how many "migrants" (e.g., illegal aliens/non-U.S. citizens) are currently enrolled in the school district. This information is crucial as it helps us and our readers understand more about the demographic composition of our local schools.
In our role as a media organization, access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. As such, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
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, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.
We will continue to keep you updated on this story as more information becomes available.
Alerts Sign-up