A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Buncombe Consolidated School District 43 in Illinois on January 28, 2025. The request, made by Southern Illinois News, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, seeks access to all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."
As part of our commitment to transparency and public accountability, we at Southern Illinois News believe it is essential for us to have access to these records. This information will allow us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
The request also included an appeal for a fee waiver as a media professional involved in gathering and reporting news to the public.
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.
This FOIA request comes as part of our ongoing efforts at Southern Illinois News to shed light on issues related to education policy and practice in our region. As always, we remain committed to delivering comprehensive coverage on these matters that directly impact our community.
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