A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Galva Community Unit School District 224 in Illinois on January 28, 2025. The request, issued by Rock Island Today, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, sought copies of all emails and memos from the past year containing specific keywords.
The keywords mentioned in the request were “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. The intention behind this FOIA request is to provide transparency to the public about local government operations. As a media organization, we at Rock Island Today believe it is our responsibility to hold public institutions accountable for their actions.
In addition to requesting these records, we also requested a fee waiver as a media professional engaged in disseminating information to the public. We believe that access to public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities.
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. It’s worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
We are committed to providing our readers with accurate information about how their tax dollars are being spent in education. This FOIA request is part of our ongoing effort to ensure transparency and accountability within our local school districts.
