South Cook News

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Evergreen Park Community High School District 231 regarding copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain specific keywords. The request was made by South Cook News, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage of local government affairs, on January 28, 2025.

The keywords specified in the request were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". The aim is to gain access to public records related to these terms, which are believed to be significant in the context of local educational matters.

As representatives of South Cook News, we believe access to such information is essential for fulfilling 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 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. Notably, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

This data underscores the importance of transparency in education-related matters and justifies our request for access to these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. We will continue striving towards our goal of providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs.