On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Washington Community High School District 308. The request, sent by Peoria Standard, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought access to specific emails and memos from the past year.
The records requested specifically included any emails and memos that contained the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. These terms may be related to curriculum or teaching methods used within the district.
As members of the media at Peoria Standard, we believe in holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. Access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. Given our role in disseminating information, we have requested 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.
We will continue to provide updates on this story as more information becomes available.
