A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Delavan Community Unit School District 703 on January 28, 2025. The request, made by a news reporter from Peoria Standard, seeks access to copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”.
Peoria Standard is a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The requested records are essential for us at Peoria Standard to fulfill our professional responsibilities, which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act, under which this request was made, allows for such information to be accessed in order to promote transparency within public institutions. As members of the media involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
In related news, according to the Illinois Report Card, the average state teacher salary in 2023 was $73,916, while the state average administrative salary stood at $116,908. The average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, it’s reported that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
We await further response from Delavan Community Unit School District 703 regarding our FOIA request.
