Rockford Sun

On January 28, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Belvidere Consolidated Unit School District 100. The request, made by the Rockford Sun, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing the keywords "Lucy Calkins" and "Units of Study."

As a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at Rockford Sun believe that access to public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.

The request was made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140, with a preference for electronic format delivery. Given our role in disseminating information to the public, we also requested a fee waiver as a media professional.

This FOIA request comes amid ongoing discussions about education standards and practices in Illinois. 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 reported as 141:1, with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. Furthermore, it's worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master's degree or higher.

We await further response from Belvidere Consolidated Unit School District 100 regarding this FOIA request.