South West Illinois News

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Pinckneyville School District 50 on January 28, 2025. The request, issued by SW Illinois News, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contained the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study".

As a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at SW Illinois News believe access to public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.

The requested information will aid in our ongoing efforts to inform the public about local education matters. We have asked for these records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, preferably in electronic format.

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 believe that as a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we are eligible for a fee waiver for this FOIA request. We eagerly await a response from Pinckneyville School District 50 regarding this matter.