A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Mercer County School District 404 on January 28, 2025. The request was made by Rock Island Today, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
The FOIA request seeks copies of all emails and memos from the past year that contain the keywords “Lucy Calkins” and “Units of Study”. The aim is to provide transparency and hold public institutions accountable. As a media organization, we believe in the importance of access to public records in fulfilling our professional responsibilities.
As journalists at Rock Island Today, we are committed to disseminating information to the public. Given our role, we believe we are eligible for a fee waiver as media professionals.
In related news, 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. It’s also worth noting that 58% of teachers in Illinois have a master’s degree or higher.
We will continue our work at Rock Island Today to bring you updates on this story as it unfolds.
