Peoria Standard

On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Astoria Community Unit School District 1. The request, sent by Peoria Standard, a media organization committed to comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought access to all emails and memos from the past year containing specific keywords.

The two keywords specified in the request were "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study". The aim of this FOIA request is to ensure transparency in public institutions and hold them accountable for their actions. As a media organization, we at Peoria Standard are involved in gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to such public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities.

We believe that as media professionals providing a service to the public by disseminating information, we are eligible for a fee waiver under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

Astoria Community Unit School District 1 Principal Mr. Don Willett (2023) | Astoria Community Unit School District 1

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. Furthermore, it revealed that the average student-to-administrative ratio is 141:1 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Interestingly enough, it also showed that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

This data highlights some key aspects of education administration and teacher qualifications within Illinois. As we continue our work at Peoria Standard, we hope that our FOIA requests will shed further light on these matters and contribute towards increased transparency within our local government institutions.