A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to Benton Consolidated High School District 103 on January 28, 2025. The request, made by North Egypt News, a media organization dedicated to comprehensive and accurate news coverage of local governmental affairs, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”.
As a media organization, we at North Egypt News are involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Given our role in disseminating information, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
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 enough, 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
This FOIA request forms part of our ongoing efforts to ensure transparency within educational institutions and provide accurate information about local governmental affairs. We await a response from Benton Consolidated High School District 103 regarding this matter.
