South Cook News

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Rich Township High School District 227 on January 13, 2025. The request, made by South Cook News, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought information about the number of non-U.S. citizens currently enrolled in the school district.

The request specifically asked for the number of "migrants" (e.g., illegal aliens/non-U.S. citizens) presently attending schools within the district. As members of the media, we at South Cook News are committed to gathering and reporting news to the public with transparency and accountability. Access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities.

In our quest for transparency, we believe it's essential to shed light on such data as it plays a significant role in understanding the demographic composition of our school districts and their potential challenges or needs.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that 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. A notable statistic reveals that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

These figures give us an insight into how resources are allocated within our educational institutions and may help provide context when examining data like that requested from Rich Township High School District 227.

We will continue striving for transparency and holding public institutions accountable through our reporting at South Cook News.