On January 13, 2025, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to Pennoyer School District 79 in Illinois by North Cook News. The media organization sought information regarding the number of non-U.S. citizens, referred to as "migrants" in the request, currently enrolled in the school district.
As a news outlet dedicated to comprehensive and accurate coverage of local governmental affairs, North Cook News emphasized the importance of access to public records for transparency and accountability purposes. In line with this commitment, the organization also requested a fee waiver based on its role as a media professional disseminating information to the public.
In addition to enrollment data, it's important to note some general statistics about education 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 and the average student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that 58% of teachers in Illinois hold a master's degree or higher.
North Cook News awaits a response from Pennoyer School District 79 regarding their FOIA request.
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